


Jedha Shift

by slugmutt



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-16 16:16:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9279587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slugmutt/pseuds/slugmutt
Summary: The Alliance is looking for Imperial officer Jyn Erso. The Empire wants her back, dead or alive (preferably dead). Jyn has her own plans.





	1. Chapter 1

(Lah’mu, 13 BBY)  
*

She wasn’t supposed to be there.

Jyn knew she wasn’t supposed to be there. She should have run right away as soon as the soldiers came. Run down the valley, through the hills, to the second cave on the right. Then down, into the shelter hidden under the fourth rock from the left. She knew the way by heart; how could she not? It was the first thing her father had shown her, when they reached their new home. They had gone over it together endlessly until she remembered every detail. Jyn was pretty sure she could run to the shelter in her sleep.

So why was she still there, watching as her parents faced off against the soldiers in black and white? 

Every time they’d gone over the plan, every time, Jyn was sure she could do it. She would stay calm, if the soldiers came. She would remember the way. And now that the moment was here, she stayed, transfixed by the scene unfolding before her. Unable to help, unable to leave. 

And then the man in white fired, and her mother fell. 

Suddenly, Jyn found she could run again. She ran and ran. Down the valley, into the hills. She ran quietly and quickly, faster than she’d ever run before. 

But even the fastest eight-year-old can’t outrun an imperial droid. Jyn’s last memory of Lah’mu was the sound of her own screams, echoing back to her from the hills.

*  
(13 years later)  
*

Imperial Captain Jyn Erso was having a very, very good day.

Lieutenant Drex noticed the second Jyn turned into the hallway. “Good news?” she asked, and Jyn answered with a bright smile. 

“What’s got you smiling?” Drex persisted. Drex, a Lieutenant, had been in Jyn’s class at the Academy. Based on past experience, Jyn would put her question at one part genuine friendliness to two parts nosiness. 

Before she could answer, a voice from behind drawled, “Our resident princess finally got a mission.”

Jyn repressed an inner shudder. She recognized the smug tone immediately as that of Cem Maxon. Fellow imperial officer and insufferable shitstain of a human being. Of all the things she’d done to prove her loyalty to the Empire, Jyn thought, not murdering Maxon may have been the hardest. 

“Not a real mission, of course,” Maxon continued, “Just busywork on some backwater planet. But hey, Erso, with your luck they’ll find an excuse to bump you up to Major for it.” 

Jyn’s smile didn’t falter. “I’m just happy to get a chance to get some field hours,” she said smoothly. Maxon just looked at her, skeptical. Jyn wondered if she’d been laying it on too thick.

“Well I think that’s wonderful!” Drex told her. “I’m sure you’ll do a good job.”

Jyn wasn’t sure what was harder to take; Maxon’s insults, or Drex’s fake enthusiasm. Thankfully, the sound of an incoming message gave her the opportunity to escape both of them. Smiling apologetically, she walked off down the nearest corridor.

The message was only a standard reminder to submit any requests for leave by the end of the month, but they didn’t need to know that.

Two hours until she would leave on her first field mission. Jyn almost wished she hadn’t prepared so quickly. She had been approved five hours earlier and had loaded the supplies immediately; now she had nothing to do but pace the hallways and think about what could go wrong. And try to avoid running into anyone. Especially Maxon, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to personally monitor her loyalty. Even after twelve years, there were those who suspected the Ersos of treason. The fact that Jyn had moved so quickly up the ranks did nothing to dispel those suspicions; if anything, it made men like Maxon more eager to find a way to tear her down.

Jyn toyed with her blaster and thought about the mission. Maxon was a shit, but he wasn’t wrong. The mission to Jedha was pointless; a way for the high-ups to keep the famed Galen Erso’s daughter busy without putting her in any real danger. Jyn didn’t mind. On the contrary, it suited her purposes perfectly.

She would have two weeks. Two weeks to spend her days in dusty temples, watching as the Empire pried more crystals out of the ground for use in her father’s work. And two weeks to spend her nights finding Saw Gerrera, and finally setting her father’s plan into motion. 

The plan might fail. In fact, the plan would probably fail. Jyn tried not to think about that part. One step at a time, she told herself, and heard the words in her father’s voice.

She looked up and realized her feet had brought her to the hanger. Perfect. Sitting in a spaceship away from prying eyes was just what she needed.

The ship was old, and small. But stepping into it Jyn could feel the universe opening before her. In two weeks, she could be free of the Empire.

The pilot glanced at her as she stowed her bag and strapped in, a silent question in his eyes.

“Ready when you are, Rook,” she told him.


	2. Chapter 2

One week later

*

 

Captain Cassian Andor was having a bad day.

 

He’d visited at least ten of Jedha’s bars last night, and all he had to show for it was a headache. Not that he had expected to stumble across his target in a bar, but in most places there would have been off-duty Stormtroopers around. And then, with the help of a few drinks – or the help of a modified blaster, Cassian wasn’t picky – he’d end up with the information he needed.

 

But last night there had been no soldiers to be seen. Probably Saw’s work. Even the dumbest of Imperial soldiers would know to be careful with Saw Gerrera’s men around, as active as they’d been lately.

 

Today would be day five. Four days of going from temple to temple, quarry to quarry, and four nights wandering the city streets, and Cassian was no closer to finding Jyn Erso than he had been when he landed. According to his informant, she would only be on the planet for two weeks. Time was running out.

 

The Alliance needed this. The situation had been bad enough even before they’d heard rumors of a new superweapon. Now - Jyn Erso might be their only hope.

 

He sighed, briefly rubbed his pounding head, and kept walking.

 

*

 

Jyn wandered through NiJedha’s fruit market and tried not to think about the end of the galaxy.

 

She had known that finding Saw Gerrera wouldn’t be easy. You didn’t survive as a rebel leader for the better part of two decades by being easy to locate. She hadn’t been expecting to see him the first time she set foot into the city in civilian clothing.

 

(Although Bodhi apparently had. On their first night in Jedha, Jyn had heard him ask a bartender, ‘Do you know Saw Gerrera?’ Jyn shuddered at the memory, still relieved that they hadn’t ended up in the custody of Imperial intelligence – or worse, on Saw’s bad side.

 

The new rule was that Jyn did the talking.)

 

Still, Jyn was getting nervous. Every day that passed brought them one day closer to the completion of the galaxy’s most powerful weapon. Once the nightmare that was the Death Star became reality, well… Jyn tried not to think about it.

 

“He’s not here today.”

 

She started at the unexpected voice. Looking up, she saw a man in strange robes, with sightless eyes. Sightless eyes that were, somehow, looking right into her own.

 

“Who’s not here?” she replied.

 

He smiled. “The man you are looking for isn’t here. You’ll see him tomorrow.”

 

Jyn frowned. “Who am I looking for?” she asked.

 

“If you don’t know, how should I?” was his response.

 

Jyn scowled, and the man chuckled briefly. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by concern. _Am I so clearly desperate that even the blind can see it?_

 

No. He was just a random stranger on the street. Probably crazy. And yet, for a moment, Jyn let herself hope. _Maybe tomorrow._

 

* 

 

In the end, Saw found her.

 

Jyn was finishing a shift when it happened. Saw’s men were good; she only noticed them seconds before the attack.

 

And then blaster shots were flying through the air and someone threw a grenade and Jyn didn’t have time to think anymore. Her body flew into motion so smoothly, she felt like she was watching herself from the outside. There, shots coming in from three o-clock – return fire, but not too eagerly, the point isn’t to engage… Shout orders to those men… Take shelter in that alley. Now quickly, while nobody can see… Her uniform came off in a second, her scarf came out, and Captain Jyn Erso was replaced by a Jedhian woman of roughly the same build.

 

The disguise might not fool her fellow officers from up close. But Jyn wasn’t planning to go back to that side of the battlefield. She rolled to her left, and ended up behind a set of pillars, somewhere between Saw’s troops and the Stormtroopers.

 

She was taking a second to plan her next move when she heard the screams.

 

A young boy, maybe three years old, was standing right in the middle of the battlefield. The child was bleeding slightly but not seriously hurt; the screams were cries of pure terror.

 

Jyn was at his side before she realized that she was moving. She grabbed him roughly and carried him, still screaming, to the nearest doorway, where an older girl grabbed him and slammed the door behind them.

 

Jyn dove for the nearest alleyway. She made it to shelter just in time. Blaster shots from behind gauged chunks out of the wall behind her as she took shelter, adjusted her fallen scarf and repositioned her blaster. Jyn allowed herself a split second to breathe, her eyes already scanning the area from her new vantage point. There, fifty feet away – one of Saw’s people, just one alley over. If she could sneak up from behind him, she could take his blaster and give herself a few seconds to explain. At which point he would either bring her to Saw, or get his blaster back and shoot her. Jyn could already see the path she would take, winding behind several storage crates and over a back wall, when –

 

“Jyn Erso,” said a voice from behind. Jyn felt a blaster between her ribs. “Drop the blaster. You’re coming with me.”

 

Kriff.

 

“I don’t know what you mean. My name isn’t Jyn Erso.” Jyn’s tone of panicked confusion was almost good enough to fool her own self.

 

But not the man with the blaster to her back. “Move,” he said again, as if she’d said nothing.

 

She tried again. “My name is Lianna Hallik, I live here. I’m not a part of this fight. Please let me go, please. I have a child.” A tear slid down her cheek. She hoped he could see it.

 

“Move, or I’ll stun you and drag you,” the voice said.

 

Cursing inwardly, Jyn stood and started walking down the alley, away from the fight. She took stock of what she knew about her captor. Number one: he’d managed to surprise her, so he was professional. Number two: his slight accent suggested the Outer Rim, but he’d clearly been in this part of the galaxy for many years. Number three: by the angle of the blaster, Jyn estimated his height at somewhere between 1.75 and 1.8 meters. Bigger than her, but still very manageable. She gave herself three minutes to incapacitate him and escape.

 

_Saw’s man had better not be dead by the time I get back_ , she thought bitterly. She had been so close.

 

*

 

Finding Erso had been a stroke of amazing luck. Cassian had come running as soon as he heard shots – who would be laying down such heavy fire if not Saw’s men, and who would they be shooting at if not Imperial troops? And imperial troops could mean Jyn Erso.

 

_If Saw’s men kill her before I get there, I’ll make them wish they were never born_ , he thought grimly as he ran, blaster out.

 

But apparently Erso was more than capable of handling herself. If she hadn’t run out to save that boy, Cassian might not even have seen her. Her clothing gave him pause - why would an Imperial soldier be dressed like a local? Several possibilities came to mind, none of which Cassian liked. But he could worry about what Erso had been doing later on – first, he had to catch her.

 

And then she ran right toward him. It had almost been too easy.

 

Cassian considered his prisoner as he walked her down the alley. Just seconds in, and he could tell the official brief on Jyn Erso was missing some key facts. Number one: she was a good fighter, and more worryingly, an excellent liar. That could be a problem.

 

She was also small. Maybe he should have just stunned her, she’d be easy enough to carry. But walking through the streets with an unconscious body was always a risk.

 

A man passed on their left, fleeing the fighting behind them. And then, somehow, half a second later, the man was falling onto Cassian, who had a sudden sharp pain in his left knee, and Jyn Erso was running back the way they’d came.

 

Cassian cursed and ran after her. Yes, Erso was going to be a problem.


	3. Chapter 3

He caught up to her, of course. Jyn had known he would. Running was one of the few areas in which, to her great annoyance, those with longer legs would always have the advantage.

But this time she was prepared. She turned a corner, her would-be captor hot on her heels, and then swung back, her fists flying as he rounded the corner. Only the first punch landed. Jyn frowned as he stumbled, gasping for air. He was supposed to be on the ground, but she supposed this would have to do. Time was of the essence.

She rounded the final corner and cursed. By her estimate – and her estimates were very good – she had been gone for 82 seconds. And in that time, the scene had changed completely. Where Stormtroopers had faced Saw’s fighters, now there was just a pile of white-armored bodies, and – was that the blind priest from the market?

And then there was a hand on her arm. As she turned to fight, she caught sight of the man she’d seen earlier, one alley away. Relief flooded her, until she realized that he was looking right back at her. He had seen her first. And he looked angry. _That’s not good_ , was all she had time to think before the blast hit.

*

After a week on the harsh planet of Jedha, Cassian was used to having a slight taste of dust in his mouth wherever he went.

Waking up with a mouthful of it was a different story.

He came to soundlessly. After more than a decade of undercover work, he had learned to keep a low profile even in sleep.

He cracked his eyes open. He was in a cave, and worse, behind bars. Two other men were with him in a small, rectangular cell with a floor and walls of Jedha’s signature reddish dust. Still on Jedha, at least. Hopefully, still near Jyn Erso. He’d seen her go down a second before he had, but since he was awake, odds were good that she too had only been stunned.

He rose to his feet, spitting out dust as he did so. Let the jailers know he was awake; his first priority was figuring out where Erso was.

His hopes were met; he could see Erso through a hole in the wall that led to the next cell over. A thin dark-haired man sat next to her. Erso was unconscious, on the floor, although unlike him she’d been lucky enough to land face up. The man was wide awake and clearly anxious.

He leaned closer to the connecting wall and got the man’s attention. “Hey, you know where we are?”

The man just shook his head. Cassian tried again.

“I’m a cargo pilot, name’s Joreth Sward. I just stopped by this planet for some power cells, and somehow I ended up here.” He gave a dejected huff; the very picture of an honest man finding himself in way over his head. He looked back over, “What’s your name?”

“Bodhi,” the man said. “We were just here to – “

“Don’t talk to him, Bodhi, he tried to kidnap me,” came Erso’s voice.

Kriff.

He hadn’t even heard the man’s full name. Also missing from the file: Erso woke up more quietly than anyone he’d ever met.

“I didn’t want to kidnap you,” he argued. “I just needed to talk to you.”

She snorted. “With a blaster to my back.”

Cassian decided to change his approach. “Look,” he said, “I know we don’t trust each other, but if we just work together, we can find a way out of here. None of us want to be here.”

“We want to be here,” Bodhi said, automatically.

Erso sighed. “I said don’t talk to him,” she said. She started climbing to her feet. “But yes, we do want to be here. So, sorry, ‘Joreth,’ but we won’t be escaping with you.” She brushed the dust off her pants, still a little unsteady.

Cassian watched as she made her way to the bars. “Hey!” she yelled, looking out toward a group of men clustered at the far end of the hall. “Hey! Tell Saw that Jyn Erso needs to speak to him.”

*

Jyn wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting from Saw Gerrera, but it wasn’t this.

She’d expected stubborn. Hoped for it, even. They would need someone stubborn and brave to the point of insanity if the plan were to work.

She’d expected some suspicion. Only an idiot wouldn’t be suspicious.

What she hadn’t expected, from Saw Gerrera of all people, was an excess of caution. Oh, he was willing enough to send men into battle – she’d seen that for herself, just hours earlier – but not willing to accept crucial intelligence from someone who was offering it up freely.

If he had been suspicious of her, fine. Jyn was used to suspicion. But to reject her gift of the Empire’s deepest secrets because he suspected her motives? What were his options here? He could accept her offer of a slim hope of defeating the Empire, or decide to lie down and die. Not much of a choice, if you asked Jyn.

At Saw’s prompting, she launched into her story for what felt like the millionth time:

“I’m Jyn Erso. Daughter of Galen and Lyra Erso. Orsen Krennic discovered us on Lah’mu. He murdered my mother, and took my father and I. We’ve been forced to work for the Empire.

“The Empire has built a superweapon. It’s a beam that can destroy entire planets in seconds. My father managed to build flaws into the system, so there may be a chance to stop it. But we’re running out of time. We need your help.”

Saw’s eyes flicked to Bodhi. “And this is?” he prompted.

Jyn bit back a sigh. Bodhi spoke, “I’m Bodhi Rook. Galen Erso sent me to bring Jyn to - ”

Saw held up a hand, and Bodhi was silent. They both watched as the battle-scarred rebel leader thought. After what felt like an eternity, he said, “You will return to your cells. I will find a method of questioning that I can trust.”

As horrible as that sounded, Jyn’s main concern was elsewhere. “Saw, please,” she urged him. “We’re running out of time. If the Empire realizes we’re missing, they’ll come after us. They’ll do whatever it takes.”

Saw gave her a dark look, and Jyn was afraid she’d made a terrible mistake. “Did you bring death upon us, girl?” he asked. Jyn said nothing. “Take them back to their cells,” he commanded, and two of his guards whisked Jyn and Bodhi back.

Jyn felt as if she could feel each second of time as a weight on her shoulders. They had to move, they had to fight. Her father’s instructions were clear – Saw could be trusted, Saw would have what it took to fight. But Saw clearly wasn’t the man he’d been all those years ago. And they didn’t have time to wait for him.

If Saw wouldn’t listen to her – maybe someone else would. She needed to put Plan B into motion. The fact that Plan B involved a highly untrustworthy would-be kidnapper – well, you couldn’t have everything.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a deal is struck.

Cassian had been shocked when Erso’s request to speak to Saw worked. Shocked, and annoyed. With Erso gone, he would have to actually stay in his cell. Being behind bars was a new experience for him, and not one he was enjoying.

He used the time to get to know the men in his own cell. Well, Chirrut, at least – the blind one who looked like a priest. His companion, Baze, wasn’t much of a talker. Chirrut more than made up for it, happy to answer all of Cassian’s questions about their life on Jedha. While the man seemed friendly enough, Cassian could tell he wasn’t one to take lightly.

He also used the time to contact Kaytoo. He needed time to earn Jyn Erso’s trust, or at least, enough of her trust to get close enough to knock her out. A massive Imperial droid breaking in and shooting the place up would not help matters. Fortunately, Saw’s soldiers had only spotted his more obvious transmitter; the backups were still with him. Kaytoo was waiting nearby, but promised he wouldn’t attempt a rescue unless Cassian went ten hours without making contact.

Most of a day had passed when Jyn and Bodhi were returned to their cell. Bodhi looked anxious, although Cassian was starting to think that might just be how he always looked.

Jyn looked… calm. Too calm. Cassian’s job was to hear what people weren’t saying and see what they were trying to hide, and in the moment that Jyn stepped back into her cell and let Saw’s men close the bars behind her, what Cassian saw was nothing.

Either Erso was actually as emotionless as a droid, or she was feeling something very, very strongly. Cassian would bet everything he had – which, admittedly, was basically just his clothes and a couple of blasters – that it was the latter. He stepped back into the shadows. Whatever Erso was feeling, she was unlikely to show her hand if she knew he was watching.

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then he heard Bodhi say in a low voice, “It’s OK, Jyn. We’re going to make this work. He doesn’t trust us yet, but he’ll come around.”

“We don’t have time, Bodhi,” Jyn shot back. “He’s going to throw away our one chance – “ There was a sound like something hitting a wall, hard.

Rage. It was rage she had been hiding. That was interesting.

“So what are we going to do?” Bodhi asked.

Cassian was listening carefully for Erso’s response when suddenly he heard her voice, much closer than he had been expecting it. “You. Joreth. Whatever your real name is. Who do you work for?”

She was at the window between the two cells, staring up at him with a look that said she expected an answer fast.

“Who said I work for anyone?” he said, staring right back.

She snorted. “A random kidnapper decides to grab an Imperial officer off of a battlefield? I don’t think so.”

“You’re Jyn Erso,” he pointed out. “I’ve heard of your father. You’d be worth a lot.”

“You’ll find that the Empire isn’t big on paying ransom,” she said dryly.

He said nothing. Saying nothing was one of Cassian’s favorite tactics. Get a conversation going, create an uncomfortable silence, and it was amazing what some people would say to fill it.

Not Jyn Erso. She just stared him down. Cassian sighed inwardly. He couldn’t even say he was surprised, at this point.

Before he could find out who would break the silence first (her. It would have to be her. She might be better than he had expected, but there were lines), Saw’s men returned, this time accompanied by Saw himself.

Saw ignored Cassian’s cell, focusing on Jyn Erso and Bodhi. “I have reached a solution to our trust problem,” he said, “You will face the Bor Gullet. Bor Gullet can feel your thoughts. Bor Gullet will know the truth. Hopefully, you won’t lose your mind.” He paused. “It’s a common side effect.”

He spoke as if the idea should please them both. Bodhi looked faint. Jyn looked sick.

Cassian had heard of the Bor Gullet, but he’d assumed they were a myth. A creature that could read thoughts and determine the truth – that would have been quite the useful tool, in his profession.

“Should we take them both?” a guard asked Saw.

Saw looked at his prisoners for a long moment. “Take him,” he finally said, nodding to Bodhi. “If they’re telling the truth, we’re going to need her mind sharp.”

“No. No! Please!!”

It was Erso who screamed.

“Saw, don’t do this,” she said, half ordering, half begging for mercy. “Please. There are other ways.”

Saw Gerrera avoided her eyes as Bodhi was dragged from his cell, the guards pulling Erso off of him and pushing her back into the cell, before locking the door behind them.

“This is the only way,” he finally said, then walked off, Bodhi in tow.

*

Jyn sat in the half light and reminded herself to breath. Breath in. _Saw has Bodhi._ Breath out. _Saw is torturing Bodhi._ Breath in. _I should break out. I should save him._ Breath out. _I can’t fight that many. Not even if I had my blaster._ Breath in. _Did I just get him killed?_

The last thought wouldn’t leave her. If it weren’t for her, Bodhi would still be flying cargo back at Eadu. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be suffering… whatever he was suffering, for her cause.

Jyn fought and re-fought dozens of imaginary battles with Saw’s men in her mind, and never won.

Eventually she came to the inevitable conclusion. Wait. She would have to wait, again. She’d spent her life waiting since she was eight years old.

The hours that Saw had Bodhi were worse than a year with the Empire.

*

Night fell. Chirrut and Baze slept.

Cassian watched Jyn Erso as she paced her cell.

This was the part of the job he had come to hate. Getting to know the target. Picking their mind apart, finding the right strings to pull. In so very many minds, the right string was “greed.” Others needed crimes erased, or wanted to be made to feel important.

Some just wanted protection. Those were the worst. Because protection was something Cassian simply couldn’t give. Not that he ever told them so.

This wasn’t supposed to be part of this job. He was supposed to find Jyn Erso, grab her, and make his escape. She would have been drugged the whole way back to base. No talking necessary.

But now they were stuck. She clearly wouldn’t leave without Bodhi, and Cassian couldn’t leave without her. So – he might as well try to see what they had to work with.

“Tell me, Captain Erso,” he began, “what does an Imperial officer want with a partisan leader?”

If she was surprised he had been watching her, she didn’t show it. “Tell me, what does a cargo pilot want with an Imperial officer?” she countered.

He sighed. “The Alliance.”

Her head whipped around. Slowly, she approached the window between their cells.

He looked straight into her eyes. “I work for the Alliance.”

She studied him for a moment. “And what does the Alliance want with me?”

“What do you think?”

Her eyes shone in the darkness. “I’m not my father.”

He shrugged. “You’re close to him. Maybe you can help us.” It was part of the truth, anyway.

He could almost feel her mind at work. Calculating, running through different scenarios, trying to figure out his motives and how they matched her own. He just wished he knew what her motives were.

“Saw won’t be able to help you,” he told her.

She gave him a skeptical look. “You don’t even know what I want.”

“And still, I know he won’t be able to help you,” Cassian argued. “He doesn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t work with anyone. He’ll torture your friend into insanity –“ she flinched, but he continued, relentless “- and he still won’t trust you. There’s a reason the Alliance stopped working with him.”

“And the Alliance is different?” she challenged. “Will your Alliance welcome an Imperial officer to its ranks? Send soldiers to fight and die on an Imperial officer’s word?”

She had him there. Of course they wouldn’t. Oh, he had no doubt Mothma and the rest would be happy to listen to whatever she chose to tell them, but they wouldn’t race into battle. The council wasn’t good at agreeing to take action, and the default was always to do nothing.

She interpreted his silence correctly. “The Alliance won’t help, either,” she said. “So no thank you. It’s only been a day. Saw will come around.”

Cassian was silent for a moment. “I can’t promise you the Alliance will do what you want, either,” he finally said. “But the Alliance will do a damn sight better than Saw Gerrera.”

“Saw is a great tactician,” she defended.

“Saw was a great warrior, fifteen years ago,” he countered. “How can he help you now? Look around you. What you see in this base is Saw’s army, all of it. Whatever you’re trying to do, I hope you can do it with a couple hundred hotheads driving the galaxy’s oldest ships.”

For a long moment, she was quiet.

“I’m going wait for Bodhi,” she told him.

Inside, Cassian groaned with frustration. Outwardly, he just nodded. “You’re very concerned about him,” he noted. “Are you two close?”

She paused a moment, looking out through the bars of her cell as if she could bring the man in question back by force of will. Then, “He’s a good person.”

A non-answer. He pushed, “A lot of people are good people.”

She tore her gaze away from the bars and looked at him, “Maybe where you’re from.”

A moment of silence passed. Then Jyn said quietly, “When Bodhi comes back – we escape together.”

Cassian recovered from his shock quickly. “Of course.”

She nodded once, decisive. “Good. I think that if you help, I can get us out of here. But one condition. You let me contact my commanding officer before…” She looked at him. “I know you’re going to try to kidnap me again,” and it was a statement, not an accusation. “But just – before we do that again, I have to call in.”

He snorted. “I can get us out, without your help. And why would you want to call the Empire? Here I thought you were eager to help the Rebellion.”

She glared. “You can get yourself out without my help. If you’re lucky. As for why I’d want to call the Empire, what do you think they’ll do in Jedha, if they think their top engineer’s daughter is trapped here in enemy hands?”

Cassian’s blood ran cold.

“Fine,” he said. “We get out, you call. One call. You tell me the message, I choose the words.” He couldn’t have her using innocuous-sounding code words to call in a strike on him and Kaytoo. It’s what he would have done, in her place.

“We have a deal, then,” she said, and walked away. She sat down facing the bars, and waited.


	5. Chapter 5

Day came. Jyn could hear the men in the next cell talking. She wondered if the other two were working with “Joreth,” or if they just happened to be caught up in the drama around them. She wondered just how stupid it was to put any degree of trust in a man who’d tried to kidnap her once, and had already told at least three different stories – each with as much sincerity as the last.

She wondered what Bodhi would think of her new plan, when he got back.

But when Bodhi came back, she realized she’d been fooling herself.

Two of Saw’s larger guards dragged the young pilot back in, and dumped him on the floor of the cell. “Saw will see you in an hour,” one of them informed Jyn. Jyn had eyes only for Bodhi.

She knelt by his side, turning him so his face was to the ceiling. “Bodhi,” she murmured. “Bodhi, it’s me, Jyn.”

“Light,” he told her. “Far and… “ he trailed off.

“Tunnels,” he added suddenly.

“Bodhi, can you hear me?” she whispered.

He said nothing, his gaze fixed blankly at the ceiling. And Jyn knew that Bodhi wouldn’t be having an opinion on her plan. His body might still be there, but Bodhi – brave, funny Bodhi, one of the few truly good people Jyn had ever met - Bodhi was gone.

When Jyn was ten, she had been chosen to sing the Ode to the Empire at her school’s graduation assembly. She still remembered climbing up to the podium in her itchy school uniform, her hair pulled back in two tight braids, preparing to sing in honor of the Empire that had murdered her mother, and taken her father. She still remembered the wave of helpless rage that had hit her, then, as she stood and faced the sea of faces. For a moment she had thought that she would die, that no one person could feel so much anger and keep breathing.

She remembered that moment now, looking at Bodhi’s blank face. She felt the fury burning under her skin, ready to explode. _Saw was supposed to be on our side_.

But ten-year-old Jyn Erso had stood on that stage and sang. Jyn knew how to save her rage for the right moment.  

Still, she thought later, she deserved some kind of medal for not murdering Saw Gerrera. She spent the entire morning not murdering Saw Gerrera. Not as she first saw what he’d done to Bodhi’s mind. Not as he told her that while he now believed that she thought she was telling the truth, he still couldn’t trust her sources. Not as he suggested that perhaps, after a few months spent earning his trust, she could lead a dozen of his troops to investigate the alleged “Death Star.”

The Death Star could be going operational as they spoke, Jyn realized. She’d had two weeks to try to avert disaster, and she’d wasted them. Failure sat in her stomach like acid.

Saw offered Jyn a bunk in the soldiers’ quarters, but she asked to return to her cell. To see Bodhi, she said.

The second the guards left, she was out again and facing the man in the next cell. “Come on,” she said. “We’re leaving. Now.”

*

Their escape didn’t go quite as smoothly as Cassian had planned. _I may have underestimated Saw_ , he thought to himself as he stunned two of the partisans coming around the corner and shouted to Baze to take care of the third.

Being thrown together with Baze and Chirrut had been a stroke of good luck. The two men might seem strange, but they could fight like nobody Cassian had ever seen. And for now at least, they seemed to be fighting on his side. Chirrut was convinced that the Force wanted him to follow Cassian – Cassian thought Chirrut must be a little crazy, but he wasn’t complaining – and Baze was clearly going to follow Chirrut.

Baze took down the third partisan with one arm while carrying Bodhi with the other. On Cassian’s other side, Jyn Erso was holding her own, taking out one of Saw’s soldiers with a series of quick jabs. “Come on,” she shouted, “Exit’s this way.”

Another burst of blaster fire, and they were free, running down the side of a steep hill toward the outcropping where K-2SO was waiting with the ship.

They were almost there when Cassian heard Chirrut shout, and then the sound of shots. He turned just in time to see three partisan soldiers hit the ground. Jyn Erso stood next to him, blaster smoking. He wondered when she’d picked up a blaster, then noticed that the one he’d taken from the base was missing from his belt.

She noticed his look. “What? It’s set to stun.”

“That’s my blaster,” he informed her.

“I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you,’” she shot back.

“If you two are done chatting, we should leave now. Unless you prefer being shot to pieces.” Cassian turned to see K-2SO’s familiar face.

Jyn Erso turned and shot the droid in the chest.

“Ah. Kaytoo is on our side,” Cassian told her.

“Oh,” she said, sounding slightly put out. “You could have told me.”

“Well, it was only a stun blaster,” K-2SO said. “… You did remember it was on stun, right?”

“Let’s go,” she responded, walking toward the waiting ship.

*

They flew a short distance to a cluster of mountains on the other side of NiJedha, just to put some distance between themselves and Saw. Jyn knew it was a good idea. She still kept her eyes glued to the giant droid’s movements, making sure it didn’t try to make the jump to hyperdrive.

At least Joreth had brought Bodhi, like he promised. Jyn hadn’t wanted to trust anyone else with the pilot’s life, but she knew she’d never be able to carry him out of Saw’s base.

Now Bodhi was sitting in the back of the ship, being cared for by the two other men from the cells. Jyn was sure that one of them was the same blind priest from the marketplace. He was talking to Bodhi now, and listening to the pilot’s nonsense babble as if it made some kind of sense to him. Jyn was trying not to notice.

“So what are we telling the Empire?” a voice beside her said. Jyn managed not to jump, but it was close. That man could walk more quietly than anyone she’d met.

She turned, and suddenly realized this was the first time she was really seeing him. Earlier, in the dark caves, she’d had a general impression of an angular face and dark hair.  Up close, she could see the sharp planes of his cheekbones, and the rich brown of his eyes. She hated to admit it, but Joreth was actually very –

“What’s your name?” Jyn interrupted herself. “Your real name. You know mine.”

 “Cassian,” he said. “Cassian Andor.”

“But you can call him ‘Captain Andor,’” K-2SO added.

“Yes, thank you, Kaytoo,” he said.

Jyn gave the alibi she’d prepared with Bodhi. “I’ll tell them that I was injured in the fight at the Temple. I’ve been at a city clinic until then, and just regained consciousness. I’m heading back to Coruscant for further treatment. That should buy us a few days.”

Cassian frowned. “Won’t they expect you to stay in NiJedha and rejoin your troops?”

“Most officers would have to do that, yes,” Jyn shrugged, and flashed a quick, sardonic smile. “But I’m Jyn Erso.”

“Fine,” Cassian said. “Who makes the call?”

“You call. Pretend you’re Bodhi,” Jyn answered, swallowing back a lump in her throat. “Pilot Bodhi Rook.”

“Fine.” He began preparing for transmission; Jyn couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t needed her code to access the local Imperial frequency.   

“I hate to interrupt, Captain,” Kaytoo said, “but two potential dangers have come to my attention.”

 “What is it, Kaytoo?” Cassian asked, his hands still busy at the controls.

“Our Imperial prisoner appears to still have a blaster. Odds that she will use it to shoot you are extremely high.”

Cassian shot Jyn an annoyed look; she answered with a smirk. She could tell he was calculating the odds of successfully disarming her, but apparently he realized it would be more trouble than it was worth. “What else?” he asked Kaytoo.

“What else, other than the armed and dangerous _Imperial officer_ in our ship?” the droid said. Jyn hadn’t realized droids could sound exasperated. Cassian shot Kaytoo a look.

“Fine,” Kaytoo said. “Secondly, if my calculations are correct, the planet of NaJedha seems to have an extra moon.”


	6. Chapter 6

“You have to send that transmission _right now_.”

Jyn Erso’s voice was calm, but her face was white as she looked over the feed from the ship’s radar.

She looked up, and caught him staring. “Cassian. Captain Andor. I don’t have time to explain, but if you don’t get that message out now, this entire planet is at risk.”

Jyn Erso was an Imperial officer. He had no reason to trust her. She had lied to him, tried to escape, escaped Saw, stolen his blaster…

She had also risked her life to save a boy she’d never met, back at the Temple. She’d insisted on saving her companion, even though his insanity meant he was no longer of use.

Cassian made the call.

Static crackled, then a bored voice said, “This is Star Destroyer Nightfall. Please state your name.”

“This is pilot Bodhi Rook,” he said. “I need to make a report.”

“Pilot Rook, what is the nature of your report?”

“I’m with Captain Jyn Erso.” He flashed a look to Jyn, who gave him a tight nod. “We’re here on Jedha. She was injured in battle two days ago. I’m taking her to Coruscant for further treatment.”

“Pilot Rook, please hold.”

For a minute there was silence. Jyn seemed to be holding her breath. From the corner of his eye, Cassian saw Baze looking in his direction.

“Pilot Rook, please state your location and the captain’s condition,” the voice said.

Cassian answered, hoping he was correctly interpreting Jyn’s frantically mouthed words. “We’re just outside NiJedha. In a clinic. I’m – I’m not sure exactly where. Captain Erso is conscious, but she needs further treatment.”

“Near NiJedha?” the voice asked.

“Yes.”

“Confirmed. Captain Rook, please await further orders. An officer will be in touch shortly.” The line went dead.

Cassian let out a long breath. Jyn grasped the console, seemingly dizzy with relief. He turned to her. “Want to tell me what that was about?”

“That is what I was trying to warn Saw Gerrera about,” she said. Her eyes met his. “That’s not another moon out there, it’s a superweapon. They’re calling it the Death Star.” She paused. “It can destroy an entire planet in seconds.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in. When they did, it felt like taking a blaster shot to the stomach. Cassian’s world shrank to the console in front of him, and he heard a faint buzzing in his ears. _Breathe_.

Slowly, he realized she was still speaking. He tried to force himself to focus.

“… but now that we’ve contacted them, maybe they won’t – “

Whatever she had been about to say was interrupted by a flash of green light. And Cassian watched as the city before them turned to flame and ash.

*

Baze Malbus had never really been a believer.

It wasn’t that he thought the Force was a lie. He just didn’t see how it affected him either way. Maybe there was some power guiding the galaxy, maybe not. In any case, it clearly had no use for the fourth son of a dirt-poor Jedhian tailor. Baze would have to take care of himself.

He joined the Guardians because it meant three meals a day, and because Chirrut was joining. A couple hours of daily meditation was a small price to pay.

If anyone had asked if he felt connected to all living things, he would have rolled his eyes. He’d turned plenty of living things into dead things without feeling a difference either way.

But as NiJedha burned, Baze knew he’d been wrong. Because he could feel every one of 100,000 lives being ripped away.

*

The desert landscape had become a mountain of flame. And still the explosion continued, the force of it turning the flat ground into a tidal wave of dirt and stone.  

Cassian had no time to think, only to move. He had a decent ship, Kaytoo to help him, and extensive experience in taking off under fire. Still, they barely made it. He managed to make the jump to hyperspace just as the crumbling earth surrounded them.

For a long time there was silence.

“What was that??” was all Cassian finally managed to say.

“That was the planet-destroying superweapon I was talking about,” Jyn said, her tone flat.

Cassian turned on her – was she trying to pick a fight now, after what they’d just seen? – but one look at her face and his anger faded. Jyn was on the floor, her knees to her chest, her lips pressed tight together, and her eyes dry but red. She was trying very, very hard to hold herself together. Cassian knew the look; he’d worn it more than a few times himself.

“The explosion was odd,” Kaytoo said. “I did not realize shock waves could move so slowly.”

Jyn took a shuddering breath. “It’s not quite an explosion,” she said. At the incredulous looks from the others, she continued, “I mean, obviously there was an explosion, centered next to NiJedha, that was the huge column of fire… “ She cleared her throat. “But that was a localized blast. What hit us was the underground wave. The heat from the initial blast affects the rock shelf under the ground, turns it to magma. It creates… “

“It would create massive earthquakes, if not worse,” Kaytoo continued for her. “Yes, I see.”

Chirrut began to murmur softly. “A chant for the dead,” he said at their looks. Baze, his eyes lowered to the floor, held fast to Chirrut’s arm.

 

The journey to Yavin 4 took one day. It felt far longer.

Cassian had seen NiJedha ripped apart. If Jyn Erso was telling the truth, the Death Star could do much worse than that. If Jyn Erso was telling the truth, this would be the end of the rebellion. The end of everything he’d worked for his entire life.

When they got back to base, Cassian would turn Jyn over to Draven and Mothma for questioning. They would consider what she said, and make cautious, rational decisions that took the needs of the entire rebellion into consideration. He would do what he was told.

That is what would happen when they got to base. For now – Cassian wanted answers of his own.

He found Jyn in the cargo hold. He tried not to think what Kaytoo would say if he’d known she was wandering around the ship unsupervised.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he ordered. “Everything.” He’d surprised her, he noticed with a grim satisfaction. Also, he was blocking the only door, and he had his own blaster back – the one he’d left on board with Kaytoo – so all in all, his chances of getting answers were looking good.

Jyn glared at him. “I thought we were on the same side now.”

“You seem to have failed to mention some relevant information,” he countered, taking a step closer. “Such as the existence of a planet-destroying superweapon.”

“You knew that I asked for Saw’s help,” she said. “That thing is why. There’s a way to stop it, but I can’t do it alone.”

Cassian moved still closer, until he was standing over Jyn, looking down into her eyes. She held her ground. “And you didn’t think to warn us sooner?” he asked, letting his fury seep into his words. “You come to tell us now, with that thing fully functional? What can we possibly do now?”

“If I could have come earlier, I would have,” Jyn snapped. The line came to her easily; Cassian wondered how many times she’d told herself the same thing.

“Why did they use it now? Why Jedha?” he demanded.

For the first time, Jyn dropped her gaze. “Because of me,” she said softly. “Saw was right. I brought death.”

Cassian was confused. “Even if they would have blown up an entire city for the sake of one officer, we made the call. They knew you weren’t captive.”

Jyn shook her head slowly. “They knew I was claiming not to be with Saw. They couldn’t be sure I hadn’t defected. And anyway, they’d brought the Death Star all the way out there.” She lifted her head again. “And if you think the Empire wouldn’t destroy an entire city for one officer, you don’t know much about the Empire.” Her eyes burned. “They might have destroyed the entire city just to test the weapon.”

Cassian compared what she said to his experience with the Empire. It fit.

“So what now?” he asked. It was the only question, really.

Jyn was so close that he could feel her breath on his face as she said, “Now, we destroy it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Jedha :(
> 
> Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments.


	7. Chapter 7

Most days, waking up was a disappointment. Jyn’s vague dreams of flight and green open fields would be replaced with the dull terror that was life on Coruscant.

This time, she dreamt of green fire and burning bodies, and waking was a relief.

Jyn hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep. When she’d gone back to the bridge after her talk with Cassian – when she’d been escorted back, rather – Chirrut had murmured something to Baze, and before she knew it, she’d been marched down to a bunk and told to stay there. She supposed it had been quite a while since she’d last slept.

She quickly made her way back to the bridge. She couldn’t have Cassian landing without her there. She didn’t like to admit it, but without her own spaceship, she was as good as captive. She wanted to at least have her wits and a good blaster with her when they got to wherever he was taking them.

Chirrut greeted her with a small but real smile. When Jyn followed his gaze, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Bodhi was there – awake, alert, and talking to Baze.

“How?” she whispered.

“The Force,” Chirrut said simply.

Bodhi heard, and turned to them. Jyn saw at once that he had been crying. Clearly Baze had told him what had happened on Jedha. He gave Jyn a small, tight nod as she came to sit next to him.

Jyn couldn’t stop looking at him. He had been beyond hope, and yet here he was.

She took Bodhi’s hand and held it tight, and for a moment the universe was somewhat less than terrible.

 

“Not a chance in hell.”

“I wasn’t asking.” Cassian’s frustration was clear on his face. Jyn noticed that his accent got slightly stronger when he was truly angry.

“I’m not getting off the ship in handcuffs. I’m a defector, not your prisoner.”

“If you want to stay a _live_ defector, you’ll do this my way,” he snapped.

“Would you like my assistance, Captain?” Kaytoo offered. “I have a number of programs pertaining to the handling of troublesome prisoners.”

“I’m not your prisoner,” Jyn told him coldly.

“You’re on our ship, coming to our base, as the captain wanted. You’re doing quite the convincing impersonation of a prisoner,” the droid told her.

Jyn’s hand drifted to her blaster.

Only to be stopped by Cassian’s.

“Jyn,” he said, his voice urgent. “You don’t know the rebellion. We do. Trust me on this.” His kept his eyes trained on her face. Jyn was suddenly very aware of his hand on hers, his fingers rough and warm around her wrist.

She pulled herself together. “Sure, _Joreth_ ,” she said.

“You want us to trust what you say about the Death Star,” he reminded her. “Trust goes both ways.”

Jyn hated that he was right.

When she stepped off the ship, it was with her arms cuffed behind her, Cassian a solid presence at her back. Every nerve in her body shouted to her to run. Jyn kept her head high. She’d been a model prisoner for thirteen years. One more day wouldn’t kill her.

*

When he’d first met her, back on Jedha, Cassian had thought Jyn Erso was an excellent liar.

He hadn’t known the half of it. If it hadn’t been his job to help question her (“speak to her,” Mothma said; “interrogate,” Draven said), he would have sat back and tried to learn from her.

It’s not that he thought she was lying, exactly. On the contrary, he was all too convinced that the Death Star was real.

But the way she spoke to Mothma and Draven, using quiet sincerity to win over the former; standing her ground against the latter – it was a work of art. Jyn could win sympathy from a Hutt. He hoped she was sincere in saying she would side with the Rebellion, he would hate to have to go up against her.

It still wasn’t enough. Not yet.

Cassian had known they wouldn’t want to believe Jyn’s information. He didn’t want to believe it, either. And suspecting her was the smart thing to do. Still – they didn’t have time for this. They had already waited to bring Bodhi to the infirmary, to process the new arrivals, to listen to Cassian’s own report.

He understood, now, the fire that had driven Jyn in their prison on Jedha. The knowledge that that thing was out there somewhere, and that they weren’t doing anything to stop it, set Cassian’s every nerve on edge.

He bit back a sigh. Jyn had told them everything she knew – or so she said – about the Death Star. About the fatal weakness her father built into the exhaust port, somewhere in the battle station.

And she’d told them so much more. As an Imperial officer, Jyn had had access to thousands of classified files. As the only daughter of one of the Empire’s most prized scientists, she’d met hundreds of the Empire’s top officers. And apparently, she’d spent the last decade memorizing anything that could be of use. Part of Cassian’s brain was already thinking of ways the information could be used – senior officials who could be blackmailed for information; trade routes that could be sabotaged.

It was so much more than he had hoped for, and still not nearly enough. They couldn’t send their pilots out to fight a ship the size of a moon with instructions to “find the exhaust port.” And with the Death Star out there, any other mission would be irrelevant.

After over two hours of questioning, Jyn still hadn’t told them much about herself. Cassian wasn’t the only one to notice.

“I want to hear about you,” Mothma suddenly said. She drew herself up to her full height, and focused on Jyn. “What brought you to decide to turn against the Empire?”

Jyn’s voice was quiet but firm. “I was never with the Empire. I was their captive.”

Draven snorted. “You trained to be an Imperial officer. Don’t tell me they forced you into that.”

“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have much useful information to give you,” she said.

Draven looked skeptical. “You started training at what, age fourteen? Don’t tell me that you were planning to run away to join the rebellion as a child.”

“They murdered my mother,” Jyn’s voice had an edge to it now. “I was planning to leave the first chance I got.”

“And yet, you stayed for thirteen years,” Draven countered.

Jyn leaned forward, her eyes going not to Draven but to Mothma. “I was their way of keeping my father in line. They weren’t exactly anxious to let me go.” Her glance flicked back to Draven. “They only let me out of their sight now because they think his work is done.” _Because it’s too late to make a difference_ went unsaid.

“Why the Alliance?” Cassian found himself saying.

He could sense her annoyance, under her mask of calm. “As you know, I first tried turning to my father’s old ally, Saw Gerrera. But I found that Saw was unable to help. I hope the Alliance can do better.”

Cassian shook his head slightly. “But why fight at all?” He continued despite Mothma’s look. “You hate the Empire for killing your mother. Do you think the Alliance has never killed someone’s mother?”

Now even Draven was looking annoyed. Cassian didn’t care. This was important. If he was going to risk his life based on Jyn Erso’s word, he needed to know.

For the first time, Jyn hesitated. It was a tiny thing; he doubted Draven or Mothma had noticed.

“It’s not the same,” she said. “The Alliance kills when it has to. The Empire kills whenever it wants to. You saw what happened on Jedha.”

Draven and Mothma exchanged looks. Mothma turned to Cassian. “Captain Andor, please escort Captain Erso back to her quarters,” she said smoothly. Turning to Jyn, she continued, “We are deeply grateful for the information you’ve given us. I can’t commit to further action before speaking with the council, but hopefully we’ll have news for you soon.”

Jyn gave Mothma a grateful smile, and stood to go. Cassian followed as she walked calmly out of the room, warning bells going off in his head. He may not have known Jyn for very long, but he knew one thing – if she seemed calm, he had reason to be nervous.

*

Jyn sat on the edge of her bed and fumed.

The nerve of Captain Andor. It was one thing to escort her back to her cell – Mothma could call it “quarters,” but that didn’t change the fact that the door only locked from the outside – and to take her blaster. She knew the Alliance couldn’t be seen to allow an armed Imperial officer to walk through camp.    

But to actually search her, and take away her lock-picking tools, that was unforgiveable.

True, he’d only got the one hidden in the heel of her boot, and not the set of wires currently disguised as a hair clip. But it was the principle of the thing.

Jyn sighed and flopped back on the bed. It’s not like she had been planning to go anywhere. She’d worked hard with Mothma and Draven; she couldn’t afford to throw away the goodwill she’d built by breaking out. The next few hours were critical.

She would not think of what would happen if she failed. She would not. She would not.

She ran over the conversation in her mind again. Had she dropped too many hints? Or too few?

It was vital that Mothma and Draven decide that they needed her father. It was also vital that they believe they had come to the decision entirely on their own. Luckily, it was easy to think of reasons to mention Galen Erso when talking about the Death Star. The idea had been planted. She just needed to give them time to figure it out.

Jyn hadn’t seen her father in four months. Not that she was used to seeing him more frequently. Krennic liked to have her around as a guarantee for Galen’s loyalty, but he didn’t seem to want the father and daughter to become too close. She wasn’t sure if Krennic thought she was going to distract Galen, or that she would subvert his loyalties. Probably the former. Krennic always had been obsessed with finishing the Death Star on schedule.  

Although the latter was possible, too. Krennic never had seemed to trust Jyn. Not that he should; she got through conversations with Krennic by imagining new and creative ways to kill the man.

Her thoughts ran away from Krennic, and wandered back to Captain Andor. Cassian. Had he noticed her attempts to influence Mothma? He certainly seemed to suspect her of something. Maybe that was just his nature. He was an intelligence officer, Mothma had said. A rebel intelligence officer would have to be suspicious, if they didn’t want to be dead.

But Jyn had a feeling it was something more. Cassian seemed to be almost able to see through her. He noticed even the slightest change in tone, the tiniest hesitation. She supposed she should find it inconvenient, but there was something exciting about it.

She was glad they were on the same side, for now.   


	8. Chapter 8

Joining the Rebel Alliance wasn’t what Bodhi had imagined it would be.

Of course, he’d tried not to imagine what it would be like, joining the rebellion. He wasn’t like Jyn, he couldn’t lie to save his life. If he had thought of rebellion, sooner or later it would have shown on his face, and then – well, then he wouldn’t be here now, in the heart of the Alliance.

But recently, after he’d left with Jyn for Jedha, he let himself picture it sometimes.

The energy and chaos around him were everything he’d thought they would be. The sprawling camp was larger than he would have thought, and their fleet wasn’t shabby – nowhere near the size of the Empire’s, but they had enough spacecraft to do some serious damage, if it came to that.

Really, the only thing not living up to Bodhi’s half-formed expectations was Bodhi himself.

He had always thought that if he made it to a rebel base, he’d come in standing tall, proud of a job well done. Not nauseous and shivering, mind still struggling to return to itself, eyes still sometimes seeing pinwheels of colorful lights where none existed. Not heartsick over his home. Not mentally tallying his cousins, friends, teachers, everyone he’d met over seventeen years of childhood, and wondering who had made it out in time.

He’d also assumed he’d be accompanied by Jyn Erso, not a two-meter-high, grumpy battle droid. Bodhi hadn’t even realized that droids could be grumpy.   

Right now, the droid was urging him to walk faster. “The Captain said I have to show you to your quarters,” he reminded them. “He did not say it had to take all day.”

Bodhi followed, both disappointed and relieved to be leaving the center of the base behind. Hopefully he’d get a chance to see it again later.

Chirrut and Baze walked beside him, a pair of silent shadows. He was glad to have the two men with him, even though looking at them still made his stomach twist with guilt. They had treated him as a fellow Jedhian back on the ship; welcomed him into their small circle of mourners. But they had spent the past seven years in NiJedha. Bodhi had spent the past seven years serving the Empire that destroyed NiJedha.

Chirrut turned to him, and for a moment Bodhi was struck with the absurd thought that the older man could read minds.

Kaytoo’s voice brought him back to reality. “Your quarters,” he said, waving a mechanical arm in the direction of a sparse room with several beds.

“Are these our permanent quarters?” Bodhi asked.

“This is where you will stay until you leave the Alliance or die,” Kaytoo answered. “So, statistically speaking, for the next 3.4 years. Roughly.” With that, the droid apparently decided his job was done, and turned and walked off.

Bodhi wished he hadn’t asked.

He sat down on a bed, looking forward to several hours of sleep. When he looked up again, Chirrut stood before him.

“Um. Yes?” he said. “Did – can I help you?”

“The past is past, Bodhi Rook,” Chirrut said. “Now, we fight together.”

Bodhi just stared, speechless.

On his left, Baze nodded and cracked his knuckles. “They destroyed our home,” he said, his voice rough. “They will pay.”

Bodhi was in a strange new place, surrounded by people he had never met and who, up until yesterday, would have considered him an enemy. And he was sharing a room with two terrifyingly skilled warriors, at least one of whom was definitely psychic.

And yet, as he fell asleep, Bodhi felt safer than he had in years.   

*

Jyn woke to the sound of her cell door opening. Her first instinct was to scramble for a blaster, _anything,_ but then she remembered where she was, and what role she had to play.

Cassian entered the room, his hair rumpled and his eyes tired. One look at his face and Jyn’s fears were confirmed.

“They don’t believe me,” she said bitterly.

Cassian leaned against the wall, facing her. “Actually, even Draven seems to trust you,” he told her, his expression making it clear he thought Draven was woefully naive. “But that’s not enough, without support from the council.”

“And what does the council think?”

His mouth tightened. “About what you’d expect,” he said. “Some of them trust you. Some of them think you’re an Imperial plant. And some think your intentions are good, but you’ve been misled.”

Jyn wanted to scream. “Misled?? You saw it yourself! What do they think happened on Jedha? They can’t possibly believe the Empire’s story, not with your testimony.”

Mothma had told them the Empire was claiming the tragic blast on Jedha had been caused by a Partisan weapons test gone horribly wrong. With the partisans burned to dust, there was no one to challenge the story. Jyn wanted to believe that people would see through the lie, but she knew most wouldn’t.

Cassian shrugged. “I saw the Death Star blow up a city, not a planet. A Star Destroyer could have done the same damage, with a few more shots.”

She bit back a groan of frustration. “This is your fault, you know,” she informed him, letting her head fall back against the wall.

“My apologies,” he said drily. “You’re right, if I hadn’t rescued you from being blown to pieces on Jedha, we wouldn’t be here.”

“If you’d let me come into base as a defector – “

“If you’d come into base on your own, carrying a blaster, you could have been killed,” he cut her off.

Jyn started to respond, but he waved her objection aside. “Jyn. What you’re not seeing is – this is a good thing.”

She gave him a calculating look. “How so?”

“What do you think they would have done, if they believed the Empire has a planet killer?” he asked her.

She thought for a moment. She knew what the Empire would do, if it got word that the Rebellion had a superweapon – hit immediately, and hit hard. She knew the Rebellion would have to be more cautious, but surely the general idea would be the same.

Cassian seemed to guess at her thoughts. “They aren’t all like Mothma. Some of them would want to fight, but a lot of them are scared already as it is. If they thought the Empire could destroy whole planets, they would run in a minute. That’s why some of the others thought you were lying – if everyone had believed you, you might have single-handedly ended the rebellion.”

His eyes were on her as she absorbed the information. “So if they don’t believe us, they will fight?” she asked.

He gave her a tired smile. “Nothing’s official yet, but – Draven’s talking about a mission to Eadu. To get your father. Maybe with his help, we’d stand a better chance.”

Jyn tried to look pleased and surprised. She was sure she succeeded at the first, although judging from Cassian’s expression, she hadn’t quite managed the latter.

Eadu. They were going to Eadu.

“You won’t be coming on the mission,” he told her. “But – “

“I’ll be coming on the mission,” she interrupted.

He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t give orders around here just yet,” he reminded her, looking more amused than angry. “Draven does.”

“You’ll need me,” she said confidently. “I know Eadu. You’ll never get through the security without someone who knows the system. And I know my father. Would you even recognize him?”

He was shaking his head before she finished. “So you can talk me through it.” Jyn glared. “Jyn, you were an Imperial officer less than a week ago. There’s no way you’re coming on a sensitive undercover mission.”

Jyn wanted to yell. She settled for giving him her sweetest smile. “If you say so,” she said. He looked slightly unnerved. Good.

She felt almost sorry for Cassian as he left. He was clearly in desperate need of rest. But she was desperate, too. Sympathy would have to wait.

*

Cassian was going to be late. He pushed himself to walk faster, cursing as he swerved around a repair droid and spilled hot caf on his fingers. The pain didn’t bother him, but he had really needed the caf.

Between the debriefing, the council meeting, and his latest unsettling conversation with Jyn Erso, Cassian had slept four hours of the past 24. Before that… he was pretty sure he had dozed off for a couple of hours here and there in the cell back on Jedha.

He had planned to still be sleeping at this hour of the morning, but Draven had said it was urgent.

He made it to Draven’s headquarters just in time for their meeting, only to stop in shock. Draven was there, of course – and so was Jyn Erso, looking fresh and perfectly put together. The pair were leaning over a set of large maps, talking quietly.

Jyn noticed him before Draven did. Cassian gave her his fiercest scowl, a look that had made more than one grown man soil himself in fright. Jyn just smiled.

Draven followed her gaze to Cassian. “Captain Andor! I’m glad you could make it,” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more time to rest, but Erso has just given me some important information on Eadu. We may have to rework our plans.”

Draven paused, looking back at the maps. He sighed. “I know it’s highly unorthodox, but I think officer Erso will need to accompany you.”

Somehow, Cassian regained his powers of speech. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” he told Draven. “Officer Erso can talk me through the mission. After all,” he said, sending Jyn a quick smirk behind Draven’s back, “the Empire thinks she’s dead. It would be a shame to blow such a perfect cover.”

“I appreciate your concern, but that won’t be an issue,” Jyn said, giving him a blatantly fake smile. “I would be using a false identity.”

“Perhaps you should explain the layout,” Draven suggested. “So that Captain Andor can see the problem for himself.”

Jyn launched into a long explanation, pointing out motion detectors, showing them which doors required which access codes, where they would need special tools to break in, and where back passageways could bring them closer to the laboratories. Cassian drank what remained of his caf and tried to think of more arguments for Draven. He knew there were good reasons not to bring Erso to Eadu, but with his head pounding and his mind fuzzy from lack of sleep, he was having trouble putting them into words. Which he was sure had been exactly her plan.

Of course, there was still the most obvious argument. Which he couldn’t exactly make in front of Erso herself.

He lingered in the room as the meeting drew to a close, hoping for a moment alone with Draven, only to remember that he’d be expected to show Jyn back to her cell. He made a quick decision. “Wait here,” he told Jyn curtly, then darted back toward Draven.

“General,” he whispered, leaning close to the other man. “You told me what to do if we can’t get Galen Erso out without sacrificing our own men.”

Draven didn’t need to be told what Cassian meant. “Make it look like an accident,” he said curtly. Catching Cassian’s skeptical look, he added, “Having her along is the best case scenario. We need her for a positive identification.”   

“Bodhi can identify him. If she’s there, she’s not going to let me – “

Draven cut him off. “I’m sure you’re more than capable of dealing with Captain Erso,” he said.

Cassian knew when he was beat. “Understood,” he said, and turned to go.

Jyn was quiet on the way back to her quarters. Cassian tried to force his mind to focus for just a few more minutes. She was planning something. He knew it. He had to find out what it was. Now, before they left for Eadu.

He stopped her at the door. “Captain Erso. Jyn,” She looked up at him, waiting. “Would you like to join me in the cantina later?”

She looked surprised, and Cassian felt a small burst of satisfaction at having caught her off guard. “I thought you and Bodhi might want a chance to see the base,” he explained. “And to relax before our mission. It will take a day to get the equipment together.”

He thought he saw a flicker of suspicion in her eyes, but she just nodded. “I would like that. I’m sure Bodhi would, too,” she said. “And Chirrut and Baze.”

He nodded. “I’ll come by this evening.”

He took a perverse pleasure in locking her cell door. She’d left him just _four hours of sleep_. He hoped she was bored in there.

He made his way through the now-bustling base, heading back to his quarters. He needed at least another four hours of sleep, if he was going to have his wits around him in the evening. Kaytoo would absolutely hate his plan, he knew, but – it was his best chance.

*

“That is a _terrible_ plan.”

Cassian ignored Kaytoo.

“I have called your plans terrible before – and I was right – but truly, this is the worst,” the droid continued.

Kaytoo followed Cassian as he made his way around the room, gathering his coat and examining his blaster. “Jyn Erso is a dangerous Imperial officer,” Kaytoo said. “And your plan is to get drunk with her? You will not be sufficiently alert if drunk. She could shoot you. Or steal your organs.”

“We’re in the middle of a rebel base, Kaytoo, she’s not going to steal my organs,” Cassian said.

“Nobody expects to have their organs stolen,” the droid pointed out.

“Enough, K.” Cassian looked up, holstering his blaster. “And I’m not planning on getting drunk. Jyn is going to get drunk. And then I’m going to figure out what she’s hiding.”

He turned and walked off, leaving Kaytoo behind.

“That is a terrible plan,” Kaytoo said one final time. But the captain was already out of earshot.

“But what do I know,” Kaytoo muttered to himself. “I’m just an expert in strategy.”

Humans.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part of this chapter was taking a while, so I'm going to go ahead and put this part up now. There should be more action soon.

“So… the plan is to get Captain Andor drunk?” Bodhi watched Jyn as she did her hair. “Umm… why?”

“Captain Andor wants to get us drunk,” she corrected him. “We’re just returning the favor.”

Bodhi sighed. Jyn’s mind was always working, he’d learned, and there was really no point in trying to understand half of her schemes.

“Do I have to do anything?” he asked. That was the only important part, really.

Jyn thought for a moment. “No. Just don’t tell him anything about Eadu. Or anything personal about me.”

“Jyn,” he said. “I don’t know anything personal about you.”

It was true. Jyn had come up in his hasty, secret conversations with Galen Erso, of course – but only in passing. Really, all he knew was that she was Galen’s daughter. Which was nothing that everyone else didn’t already know. Galen had barely talked about himself or his own life, preferring to talk about strategy and rebellion.

And Jyn – despite knowing her for several weeks now, all Bodhi knew was what appeared in her file. Age, rank, appearance, weapons skills. Well – he had discovered a few new things. Like that Jyn was clever, devious, a ball of wild energy, an explosive charge hidden right under the Empire’s nose. But he had the feeling Captain Andor already knew all that.

“Why not talk about Eadu, what about the mission?” he asked.

She shot him a surprised look. “Of course we’re not telling him about the mission.”

“It’s his mission,” Bodhi pointed out.

She sighed. “Right. And we’re working together, really. I’ve told them all of the important parts. But – don’t trust them too much, Bodhi.”

He managed to refrain from asking her what an acceptable level of trust would be, in her opinion. He had a feeling he knew the answer, anyway.

*

When Cassian came to get Jyn, he found her ready and waiting, with Bodhi keeping her company. He decided not to ask how it was that Bodhi came to be inside her cell.

Jyn looked… different. Not that he’d been expecting her to wear her battered Imperial uniform. But he hadn’t given thought to how she would look in other clothes. Wearing faded brown pants, a white blouse, and a pilot’s jacket and looking like any other Rebel soldier.

The color suited her better than Imperial black, made her look softer. Not that she didn’t still look dangerous as hell to Cassian. But if he didn’t know her, he’d think she was just another pretty new recruit. Sweet, even.

He pulled his mind away from that line of thinking. “Ready to go?” he asked.

 

The cantina was mostly full when they got there. Luckily for Cassian, it wasn’t too crowded – it would be too easy for Jyn to slip away, in a crowd. It had been a quiet couple of weeks; only significant victories – or losses – saw the cantina packed with soldiers.

He offered to get their drinks, and slipped extra rum into Jyn’s. Better to start early, he didn’t know what her tolerance for liquor was like. He felt a small pang of guilt, drugging her, but – it wasn’t like it was going to hurt her. He just needed to loosen her tongue. Nothing he hadn’t done a hundred times before, to a hundred different people.

Jyn smiled and thanked him for the drink. “So where are Chirrut and Baze?” she asked.

Bodhi shrugged. “They said they’d meet us here,” he told her. “I think Baze wanted to check out the blasters.”

Cassian sat back and took a sip of his drink. Time to get started. “So Jyn,” he said. “What’s Coruscant like?”

 

Two hours and five rounds of drinks later, Cassian had learned three new things about Jyn Erso.

One: she didn’t like durang fruit. He knew that was true, because he caught the split second of irritation on her face after she said it, as if she’d somehow failed.

Two: she could hold her alcohol. Honestly, he didn’t understand how it was physically possible for her to still be awake at this point. How much could she weigh, anyway? He’d stopped spiking her drinks for fear of making her seriously sick. But here she was, laughing with Bodhi and Chirrut, and kicking all of their asses at sabacc. Shocking, that Jyn was a master at a game of strategy and deceit.

Three: she was beautiful when she let herself smile. Not that it mattered to him. Purely objective observation.

*

Jyn eyed Cassian over the rim of her glass, and smiled to herself. He thought he’d had just three glasses of rum (Jyn had almost missed the sleight of hand by which his glass slowly emptied without him actually drinking), but since she’d managed to swap out two of those with the drinks he’d given her, he’d actually had the equivalent of five glasses by now.

He’d stopped adding extra alcohol to her drinks an hour ago. Jyn was surprised. She wouldn’t have thought someone in his position could afford to be chivalrous.

He needn’t have worried. Jyn had practiced dealing with alcohol since she was fourteen. Since the day she saw the older cadets stumbling happily, singing drinking songs, and understood what “lowered inhibitions” meant, and what it could mean for her. She wasn’t planning to die a horrible death because of something she let slip after a shot or two of whisky. And not drinking wasn’t really an option, at the Academy. So – she’d learned to look like she was drinking without drinking, and when all else failed – to tolerate quantities of alcohol that were truly impressive for a woman her size (if she did say so herself).

She set down her glass and leaned across the table, toward Cassian. To her left, Bodhi, Chirrut and Baze started another round of sabacc. Jyn had a different game to play.

“So, Cassian,” she said. “How did you come to join the Rebellion?”

He shrugged, his arms folded across his chest. “I hate the Empire. It seemed like the logical step.”

“How old were you?” she asked.

For a moment, he seemed to be looking through her, looking at something that wasn’t there. “Young,” was all he finally said.

“And you?” he asked, his dark eyes sharp again.

“Me what?”

“When did you really decide to join the Rebellion?” he said. Jyn caught her breath.

“Like I told you during the debriefing,” she said. Shrugged. Tried to look casual. “When my mother was murdered.”

He didn’t challenge her again, but his eyes stayed on her, searching. Measuring. Jyn knew she should stare him down, but she found herself turning to Bodhi instead, joining in the next round.

 

An hour and a half later, and Jyn had won five more rounds of sabacc, drank two more glasses of rum, and learned three things about Cassian Andor:

One: he was from Fest. She hadn’t been able to place the accent, earlier.

(His accent was… not unattractive. Although it couldn’t be convenient for undercover work.)

Two: He never relaxed. The man had had seven units of alcohol by now (not that he knew that), and he still looked ready to spring into battle at a second’s notice. Jyn respected that.

Three: He didn’t believe her. Why didn’t he believe her?

She had also learned many, many things about the Alliance. Really, she didn’t know what Captain Andor had been thinking, bringing her here. It was a bar. There were young, male soldiers. She was pretty, they were drunk. It made gathering information absurdly easy.

Right now, a cute blond soldier was eagerly telling her and Bodhi about the fabled mission to Agamar. Jyn didn’t have to fake her fascination. She’d always known the Empire’s version of events was a lie.

Cassian had looked irritated at first, but now he just looked vaguely amused. She thought. It was hard to tell, with him.

Chirrut and Baze had gotten bored of sabacc, and were giving some of the Rebel soldiers a lesson in hand-to-hand combat. In theory. In practice, it was basically just drunk people waving their arms around. Chirrut and Baze aside – those two could still do some serious damage, she was sure.

The whole situation was strangely overwhelming. She wasn’t sure if it was nervous anticipation of the upcoming mission, or the relief of having made it this far, or maybe just the alcohol, but she felt like something big had changed.

She wanted to stay there for another three hours, hearing about the real history of the rebellion. But – they had a mission tomorrow. They had _the_ mission tomorrow, even if Draven and Mothma didn’t seem to grasp its significance yet. She supposed that was a good thing; if they had realized this could be the key to defeating the Death Star, they probably wouldn’t have authorized her to take part.

Cassian stood when she did. “I’ll walk you,” he told her.

Of course he would.

“You’re not really going to lock me in there again tonight, are you?” she asked as they left.

He kept his eyes straight ahead. “Not my decision,” he told her.

“None of the others are locked up,” she pointed out. “It’s not like you know Chirrut or Baze or Bodhi, either. Technically, you’ve known me for longer.”

He let out an amused huff of breath that was almost laughter. “I’m not sure that’s a point in your favor.”

He had a point there. Still. Jyn should be used to being a prisoner, but – somehow, tonight, it was just too much.  

Besides, this time – for once – she wasn’t actually guilty. The Empire had been right to keep her under close control. The Alliance didn’t need to.

Jyn didn’t argue further. She was busy thinking.


	10. Chapter 10

Cassian watched Jyn as they approached her cell.

The night hadn’t been a total failure, he reflected. He had picked up a couple of new facts. And really, he didn’t need an excuse to relax at the bar the night before a mission. As usual, it could be one of his last nights alive.

But he still hadn’t found what he’d been looking for.

To be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for. What it was that he wanted to hear from Jyn. Ideally, he wanted some combination of words that would make him trust her, but he knew that it didn’t work that way. There was no magic turn of phrase or piece of personal history that would let him see her real self.

And in any case, people like them had a real inner self for every occasion.

Still. He’d learned to rely on instinct, and right now his instincts were telling him that not all of the pieces were in place.

They had just reached the door when Jyn suddenly gasped, and stumbled to a stop. He reached out to steady her, but she didn’t need it. She seemed frozen in place, eyes unfocused.

When she turned to him a second later, though, her focus was laser-sharp. She grabbed his sleeve, turning him toward her. “I hate the Empire,” she whispered. As if it was a secret.

“We all hate the Empire,” he told her.

“Yes, but – we can say it. You said it, earlier,” Jyn said, her eyes lit from within by some wild energy.

“I hate the Empire,” she said again, louder, and laughed.

Cassian just watched her. She looked lost in thought again.

“And – and I _won,_ ” she said suddenly.

“You won what?”

“I won at sabacc.” Her hand was still on his sleeve. He wondered if she noticed.

“I know you won at sabacc, Jyn, I was there. I doubt it was your first time, either.”

“No, but… “ She seemed to struggle for words. “I really won. I didn’t win to make a point, or lose on purpose so you’d like me, I just… played.”

Cassian let the meaning of that sink in, while Jyn’s gaze wandered the hallway, a dreamy look on her face.

“Well then,” he finally said. “Welcome home.”

Jyn smiled at him. A genuine, full smile.

“Cassian,” she said again. Her eyes were clear again, and looking right into his, and her face was just inches away. She looked at him like he was a puzzle she was trying to figure out.

And then, Jyn pulled her face to his and kissed him.

*

He responded immediately. Jyn let herself lean into him, her arms going around his neck as his lips chased hers. Their mouths met again, and again, and Jyn’s head was spinning. _Too much to drink_ , she thought fuzzily. She gently sucked his bottom lip, and he pressed her back into the wall, his hands on her hips.

Her right hand held his head to hers, her fingers combing through his hair.

Her left hand trailed down his back, to the keychain on his belt.

In a second, Cassian’s hands were around her wrists, pinning her arms to the wall. “Nice try,” he whispered, his face still just a breath away from hers. “But I keep the keys to your cell somewhere else.” Jyn waited for him to get angry, but instead he just flashed her a wicked smile. “Have a good night’s sleep, Captain Erso,” he said. And in another heartbeat, he had spun her into her room, and the lock was clicking into place behind her.

Jyn walked to her bed on shaking legs, and sat.

That hadn’t gone quite how she’d expected.

She had known the ruse was unlikely to work. Cassian wasn’t some hormonal new recruit who kept his brains between his legs. She wasn’t surprised he’d caught on to her.

What came as an unpleasant surprise was her own response. She’d been disappointed when he caught on, but not at failing to get the keys. She had been disappointed that he had stopped kissing her.

 _It’s just hormones,_ she told herself. Captain Andor was good looking, no question there. And it’s not like she’d had many men to choose from back at the Academy, or later, on base. Sure, there had been plenty of men who would have been happy to date her – happy to attach themselves to the Erso name – but none that she could imagine kissing without wanting to vomit. She could never love a man who worked for the Empire. It was hard enough pretending to tolerate men who worked for the Empire.

So – it was simple, really. Cassian was the first man she’d met who was attractive, available, and with the Rebellion. Her hormones had latched onto him. It would pass.

It was ironic, though, that he would almost certainly write off her one moment of real weakness as part of the trick. Jyn could still feel the euphoria that had spread through her when it clicked; when she realized what had been niggling at her all night. _I hate the Empire_ , he’d told her.

People could say that, here.

Jyn wasn’t rushing to take off her mask. She wasn’t entirely sure she could, anyway. Some days even she wasn’t certain which parts of her were real.

But maybe there were some things she didn’t have to hide anymore. She hadn’t realized how hard it had been, hiding, until she confessed her hate to Cassian and suddenly felt a million times lighter.

They had to win. Because she was never going to go back to pretending not to hate the Empire. Maybe she would die on Eadu, maybe she would die fighting with the Rebellion, maybe she would live and be free. But she wouldn’t be a prisoner. If the Empire took her again, she would choose death.

*

Cassian revised his earlier assessment.

The night had been a disaster.

He hadn’t been overly surprised, when Jyn kissed him. It was a common tactic. Really, he had to give her points for trying.

She had a perfectly good reason for kissing him.

But – what had his reason been for kissing her back?

As he walked back to his quarters, there was one thing Cassian knew for certain: if Kaytoo found out about any of this, he would never hear the end of it.

 

The team met early the next morning. Cassian was waiting for them in the hangar.

They were an odd group, even by the Rebellion’s standards.

One former Imperial droid.

One priest, one assassin. He’d had to argue hard for both, Draven and Mothma both shocked he’d wanted men recruited two days earlier along on the mission, but - he’d seen them fight. (And he knew what it was to have a home to avenge; knew that kind of hunger was what he needed in his team for this to work.)

An ex-Imperial pilot, and one with brain damage to boot. Under normal circumstances Bodhi would never have been cleared to fly, but they hadn’t had a choice. Kaytoo could get them to Eadu, but they’d need Bodhi if they wanted to survive the landing.

A former Imperial captain. Who he’d met one week ago. Who could wield a blaster like she was born to it, and lie like nobody he’d ever seen. Who had kissed him just hours earlier like they were the last two people alive, and now looked perfectly calm as she met his eyes. Whose father was their target.

It was such a kriffing terrible idea to bring her along.

“Let’s go,” was all he said.

 

The trip to Eadu was long. Normally that would have been a bad thing. Cassian always preferred shorter trips; the shorter the mission, the fewer opportunities for everything to go wrong.

This time, though – it was probably a good thing that they had a few hours to recover from the effects of drinking the night before. And they had a plan to review.

They crowded around the map he’d spread out on the floor behind the ship’s controls.

“Bodhi will bring us in here,” Jyn began, pointing to one corner of the map. “From there it’s a short walk to the loading dock.

“The doors there open twice a day. If we hit in the morning, there should only be two soldiers. We take them out, report in with their access codes, and then we’re in.”

“From there, we’ll be in two teams,” Cassian took over. “Jyn and I will go after her father. We’ll be going through the back passageway here," he pointed “and hiding in his quarters. We need to get him out at night, when there are fewer guards on duty.

“Baze, Chirrut, Bodhi, you’ll be backup. We need you near the exit point, which will be at the main hangar bay.”

“Not back the way we came?” Baze asked.

Cassian shook his head. “Too slow. Until we have him, we need to stay hidden. After that, our priority is speed.”

“What about me?” Kaytoo demanded.

“You’ll stay with the ship,” Cassian said firmly.

“Captain, I am by far the most suited of all of us to go undercover here,” the droid argued. “An Imperial droid will hardly draw attention on an Imperial base.”

Jyn snorted. “A normal Imperial droid, maybe,” she muttered.

“If you succeeded in remaining undercover on an Imperial base, I can only assume that I am more than capable of doing the same,” Kaytoo told her.

“Kaytoo,” Cassian cut him off before things got worse. “We need you on the ship. Being ready to fly out fast is crucial.”

“Bodhi could – “

“Galen Erso will recognize Bodhi. We need him inside, in case Jyn and I fail,” he said firmly.

Kaytoo was silent for a moment. Then –

“The odds of this succeeding are –“

“Kaytoo, I don’t want to hear it.”

“- extremely low.”

“Yes, thank you, Kaytoo.”


	11. Chapter 11

The descent onto Eadu was dangerous under the best of circumstances. When a pilot with brain trauma was flying in low, trying to stay under the radar, it was terrifying. And with a half-flooded canyon full of jagged rock formations instead of a landing pad, well. It was best not to think about it.

Outside the ship there was nothing but the dark and cold and wet. The pounding of the rain swallowed their words, and even in the thick coat she’d taken from base Jyn could barely feel her fingers.

She felt amazing.

She had thought all missions began with a feeling of dread. That’s how it had always been before. Every time a transmission came in, something cold settled in her stomach. Every time she stepped into the hangar, it felt like facing a firing squad.

And here she was, freezing, soaked to the bone, on a mission exponentially more dangerous than anything that Krennic had ever authorized her to do with the Empire. And she felt… powerful. Terrified, yes. But a terror that was like electricity in her veins, sending her mind into high alert, numbing her body’s complaints.

They moved quietly, steadily. Their landing point was as close as they could safely get, but it still took over an hour to reach the ladder.

Bodhi let out a quiet curse. “We’re going up that?”

“That’s the plan,” Jyn said.

The ladders connecting the back side of the Eadu base to the ground had been almost an afterthought. A last-ditch means of escape, if the base were to be compromised and transport off-planet temporarily unavailable. There had been no intention of using them regularly, and it showed – they were shaky, rusty in parts, and had no easy gripping points to counter the effects of constant rain. And it was a long way up.

In her adrenaline-fueled state, it almost felt easy. Before she knew it, she was climbing over the edge of the dock. They had timed it well; the supplies had already been offloaded and were sitting in piles under a small makeshift roof. They wouldn’t have to worry about hiding from the crew of a cargo ship.

Cassian was already in position. “We have twenty minutes,” he told her. She nodded, and took up her own position, on the opposite side of the doors.

Waiting was the hard part. Standing still, she could feel the cold; so much so that she started to worry that when the moment came, her fingers would be too numb to pull the trigger. Bodhi crouched beside her, holding a blaster of his own. She could just make out Chirrut and Baze, who seemed to have almost blended into the rock.

The doors opened exactly as scheduled. They were lucky; as Jyn had thought, only two soldiers came out to drag in the supplies, even though protocol required a team of three. If the situation weren’t so serious she might have smiled. You could always rely on Imperial soldiers to cut corners when nobody was watching.

The two were dead as soon as the door closed behind them. Jyn pushed back her nausea at the sight of the bodies crumpled on deck. She made herself strip the closer soldier of his ID card and blaster. Beside her, Cassian did the same with the second body.

She started to remove the man’s uniform, but suddenly Baze was beside her, taking over the task without a word.

Within a minute, Cassian was in one uniform, Bodhi in the other. Each team would have one “soldier,” although the hope was for all of them to go unseen.

The bodies were somewhere at the foot of the canyon. Jyn tried not to think about that.

They worked together to quickly bring the cargo in. Hopefully that would buy them a few hours before the soldiers’ absence was noted.

They left Bodhi, Baze and Chirrut, parting with a silent nod. The other three moved forward with blasters out, crouched low against the wall. Jyn almost wished she could do the same. Instead, she and Cassian walked calmly into the main corridor. If they were seen, it was better that they at least look as if they belonged.

“The access panel we need is just past the doors, on the left,” she whispered. She caught the slightest hint of a nod in response.

They passed the doors with no problem. Jyn was pleased with her past self for having stolen Lieutenant Maxon’s access codes when she had the chance. Maxon wasn’t stationed here, but his rank alone would allow them through the outer doors.

Cassian had the access panel open in seconds. She wasn’t sure she could do it that quickly even if she’d had the authorization. He had a modified tool kit, which seemed to be enough.

She let out a small sigh of relief once they were inside the back passage. This was the area used by drones and grunts from engineering. The odds of running into someone she knew had just dropped dramatically.

They crept slowly along the walls, to avoid being picked up by motion detectors. Still they made good time, moving up two floors in just under half an hour. They passed a couple of droids, but she wasn’t worried. Repair droids weren’t programmed with counter-espionage in mind; they wouldn’t bother to ask questions about the humans they encountered.

She was about to turn into the next corridor on their path when suddenly she found herself pressed up against the wall, a man’s arm to her throat and a blaster pointed at her head.

Cassian’s eyes burned into hers, dark and deadly. “This isn’t the layout you gave us,” he said. “You have five seconds to tell me why.”

*

Cassian should have been worried. He was deep in enemy territory, his information was all wrong, and his partner couldn’t be trusted.

He wasn’t worried. Any anxiety had been swept aside by the force of his fury.

Jyn’s eyes held his, her gaze steady despite the blaster pointed at her temple. “I promise you, I didn’t lie about anything that would affect the mission,” she told him.

At least she wasn’t going to waste his time by trying to deny it.

“You’ll forgive me if I’m not in the mood to trust your promises,” he said. “Tell me everything you lied about, now. Every detail.”

She put her hands up in a pacifying gesture, bringing them closer to where she’d need them if she were to try to push him off. He tightened his hand on the blaster in response.

“There are no motion detectors back here,” she told him. “And you won’t need my help getting through the doors on the top floor. But that’s it, I swear. I was honest about everything else. I just needed Draven to let me come on the mission.”

“’That’s it’? Tell me you’re not serious,” he bit out. He felt his anger rising, and forced himself to take deep breaths. He couldn’t afford to get emotional, not here.

Jyn looked frustrated. “I told you about all the security measures I know of. I’m sorry I lied, but our mission is safer than you thought, not less safe,” she told him.

Her looked at her, stubborn, fearless even with his blaster on her. She didn’t think he would do it, he realized. She trusted him not to kill her.

He sighed, and let the blaster fall. “Jyn,” he moaned, letting his head drop back against the wall behind him. “You may have just killed us all.”

“What do you mean?” she demanded. Her look was one of irritation, but Cassian could see beneath it; could see that she was getting worried.

“This is one of the Empire’s most secret facilities. Did you really think it would be that easy?” he asked her. When she said nothing, he continued, “You told us everything _that you know of._ If you hadn’t said there were motion detectors, I would have known that there was something here you didn’t know of.”

“What?” she asked softly.

He pointed at a small sensor a meter left of her head. Jyn looked, uncomprehending. He supposed the sensors were hard to spot, if you weren’t familiar with them.

“There are heat sensors here,” he explained. “One every few meters. They’re very well hidden, even I didn’t notice them right away.”

Jyn cursed. She looked at him then, and he saw half an apology in her eyes before she shut it down, focused on the mission at hand.

“They still don’t know we’re here,” she pointed out. “Just that there are two people in this passage.”

“Which could be enough that they’ve already dispatched soldiers to check,” he said. “And that’s if the droids we passed didn’t have cameras.”

“So what do we do now?” she asked, looking at him. Green eyes on him, trusting, as if she expected him to have the answers.

He rubbed his face and sighed. “We keep going,” he said grudgingly. “Stick to the plan, hope nobody notices.” He glared at her. “Hope you didn’t just sign our death warrants.”

They moved quickly now, abandoning their attempts to go completely unnoticed. Now, he just wanted to get out of the back passage before somebody noticed the unusual heat readings.

They were one floor below their planned exit point when he heard footsteps. He moved to draw his blaster, but she gestured for him to stop. At his questioning look, she said, “If we’re going to be caught, we should be caught in the main corridor. So we don’t look like we were trying to hide,” She moved forward, and started working at the nearest access panel.

He moved to help her. “So what’s the story?” he asked.

She gave him half a smile. “I’m Jyn Erso. I’m here to see my father,” she said. Before he could answer, she pulled herself out and into the main corridor.

He followed a second later, securing the panel behind him. “And what am I doing here?” he whispered to her, as they rushed down the hallway.

“You’re my partner. You’re here to meet my father, too,” she said under her breath.

He was about to tell her that it wouldn’t make sense for someone with his stolen rank to be partnered with a captain, when he realized what kind of partner she was talking about.

It made a certain amount of sense, as a cover story. It was a good thing he had several Empire-worthy backstories to choose from.

Just as he was hoping he wouldn’t have to put any of them to use, they turned a corner and found themselves face to face with an Imperial officer.

“Captain Erso!” the other man said, his tone of surprise clearly fake. “Nice to see you. And who’s this?”

Jyn gave a small smile. Her face was perfectly calm, but Cassian was sure he wasn’t imagining the panic he sensed underneath.

“Lieutenant Maxon,” she said. “I didn’t know you were stationed here.”


	12. Chapter 12

After four years in the Academy and another two living around Imperial officers, Jyn knew how to curse in twelve languages.

She went through all of them in her head as she followed Maxon down the hall.

He’d accepted their story smoothly. Too smoothly. Jyn searched her memory for a time that Maxon had spoken to her without working in at least one insult, and came up empty.

But here he was, smiling pleasantly, offering to escort them to her father’s quarters. It made her nerves itch, but she followed him. What else was there to do?

She chanced a look at Cassian, though, hoping against hope that he would see the suspicion written on her face. He caught her eye for a fraction of a second, then looked forward again. She wasn’t sure what, if anything, he’d seen in her eyes.

The walk to her father’s quarters was over too quickly. Jyn was still running through different possibilities, trying to think of a plan.

Maxon stood beside the door. “I assume you have the codes, Captain Erso?”

The last thing she wanted to do was to let Maxon into the room with them. But she knew it was a test. He wouldn’t leave until he’d seen her punch in the code.

Last month’s code still worked. Jyn tried not to let her relief show.

Maxon followed them into the room, and the alarms in Jyn’s head grew louder. She made a quick decision. When the doors closed, she was going to take Maxon out. It was the only way to be safe.

But when the doors closed, Maxon’s hand held a blaster, too.

“Careful, Erso,” he said, his voice stripped of all its fake civility. “If you make this difficult, I can make your death very, very painful.”

He noticed the blaster in Cassian’s hand and sneered. “Drop it or your girlfriend dies,” he ordered. Cassian didn’t move.

Maxon shrugged. “Oh well. She was going to die anyway.”

“Hurt her, and it’ll be the last thing you do,” Cassian warned.

“I’m doing you a favor,” Maxon said, his eyes on Jyn. “I shoot her now, it’s over in a second. You get in my way, Krennic will catch you. And then you’ll both be begging for death before it comes.”

At Jyn’s look, a malicious smile spread across his face. “Oh, you didn’t know?” he told her. “Krennic wants you dead.”

He stepped backward, trying to maneuver closer to her as he talked. Cassian stepped forward, moving to cut him off, but stopped when Maxon’s finger twitched on the trigger.

Maxon kept talking, his focus still on Jyn. “You, a captain? I always knew it was a joke. You were nothing more than a bargaining chip. And now we don’t need you any—“

Jyn watched, uncomprehending, as Maxon stopped, his eyes unfocused. And then toppled forward, the back of his head a mess of bone and blood.

“Well he certainly had a peculiar way of trying to kill someone,” a familiar voice said. “Really, you just pull the trigger, there’s no need for so much talking.”

She watched as the shadows behind where Maxon had been standing moved, and a massive Imperial droid stepped out.

“Kaytoo,” she said. “I never thought I’d be happy to see you.”

“And I never thought I’d be happy to see you,” Kaytoo said. “My prediction, at least, remains accurate.”

*

Jyn stood by the sink, scrubbing the last of Maxon’s blood off her hands.

Cassian stood in the doorway and watched.

“Why doesn’t this bother you?” he asked her.

She gave him a look of disbelief. “There are a lot of things bothering me right now,” she said.

“But Maxon’s death isn’t one of them,” he said.

“I don’t see it bothering you, either,” she answered.

“The soldiers’ deaths bothered you, earlier. On the landing bay.”

Jyn stopped scrubbing and dried her hands, her gaze wandering across the room. He waited.

“I didn’t know the soldiers,” she finally said. “Maybe they were like Maxon. Maybe they were like me and Bodhi. Maybe they wanted to be here, maybe not.

“Maxon, on the other hand, was an evil shit,” she continued. “I once saw him kill a man in front of his wife and children, for not saluting. He didn’t make it quick, either.”

Cassian just nodded.

“We can’t stay here long,” he told her. “When does your father come back?”

He and Kaytoo had hidden Maxon’s body in a closet, and Jyn had scrubbed the floor. Still, they were working against the clock now more than ever. If Maxon had been sent to look for intruders, his disappearance would set off all kind of alarms.

Kaytoo was trying to hack into the base’s security system, but even that wouldn’t help them if Maxon had told Krennic where he was going.

She looked worried. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’d thought he’d be here already. But – Cassian, it looks like nobody has been here for a while.”

As she spoke, Kaytoo walked back into the room. “Your crude estimate is accurate,” he told her. “Your father has not been using these quarters for five days.”

“So where is he?” she demanded.

“Sickbay,” the droid said. “Apparently, he hasn’t been eating.”

Cassian cursed. “So now we have a totally different part of base to get to?”

“Yes. Your plan was terrible in many ways,” Kaytoo said. “It is fortunate that I am an expert in strategic planning.”

Jyn looked skeptical. “You have a plan that will get us into sickbay, then out with my father and through the entire base, and what then? We carry him down the ladder and across a flooded canyon to the ship, and Krennic just lets us go?”

“Don’t be absurd. The ship is docked in the hangar,” Kaytoo told her.

“You parked our getaway ship on an imperial base?” she asked, looking like she was about to shoot him. Cassian didn’t blame her.

Kaytoo drew himself up to his full height. “I didn’t see your plan succeeding,” he said. “Now, do you want to hear how we’re going to save your father, or shall we continue bickering?”

 

Ten minutes later, they were at the doors to sickbay. It went against Cassian’s every instinct to shout at people on an Imperial base, but – he did what he had to do.

“Out of the way! This woman needs medical attention,” he had barked at the various officers they passed on their way down. Kaytoo held Jyn, whose bloodied, battered face he thought must be unrecognizable even to those who knew her.

If he hadn’t known it was her under all the gore, he wouldn’t have guessed. Using Maxon’s blood to provide the necessary disguise had really given it the authenticity they needed.

His stomach clenched as they made their way inside. This would be the hard part. Jyn wouldn’t pass as genuinely hurt for much longer.

They were immediately approached by a droid and a human doctor. “Oh no, what happened?” asked the doctor, a middle-aged man with grey hair and an Imperial accent. He gestured for Kaytoo to set Jyn down on one of the beds on the far side of the room.

“She was unloading a ship, one of the boxes fell,” Cassian said as they walked.

The doctor clucked his tongue. “She shouldn’t have been trying to lift those heavy boxes alone,” he said.

“She often takes foolish risks,” Kaytoo agreed. Cassian stopped moving the curtain around the bed for a moment to glare at him behind the doctor’s back.

The droid moved into place and began checking her pulse. His hands tightened. _Now._

He stunned the doctor in one swift movement, while Kaytoo disabled the droid with a quick jolt that left smoke pouring out of its wiring.

Jyn started to sit up, but he gestured to her to stay put. Covered in blood as she was, she’d draw too much attention in a sickbay.

Instead, it was him who crept quietly out. He heard Kaytoo out front, speaking to the doctor at the front desk.

“The officers on the third floor require more vitamins. For… for their health,” he was saying. Cassian winced. Kaytoo would certainly hold the doctor’s attention, but he didn’t have long until the droid blew their cover.

Fortunately, sickbay was tiny. He ignored the first patient – too young, and the second – not human. He paused next to the third. The patient was human, and male, and – something about him reminded Cassian of Jyn.

“Galen Erso?” he said quietly. The man said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, unseeing.

“Galen,” he said again. “Jyn is here.”

The man’s head turned slowly to him, and he thought he could see a flicker of life in his eyes. “Stardust?” the man said, his voice faint.

Cassian had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but – it would have to do. He grabbed the man just as the doctor at the front desk began to yell for security.


	13. Chapter 13

When he first saw Jyn Erso – really saw her, in full daylight, and not in the middle of a battle – Cassian was struck by how unexpectedly innocent her face was. He’d seen her lie, fight, and steal with his own eyes, but looking at her heart-shaped face and clear green eyes, he’d hardly have thought her capable of it. It was really the perfect face for a spy, he had thought then.

He had been so very, very right.

One man running against the flow of soldiers streaming to the medbay, carrying what must have looked like a body? He’d have been dead in seconds.

But add a pretty, panicked girl who kept telling the soldiers they passed, “Please, they’re in the medbay, please help,” and they made it almost all the way to the hangar before the few soldiers who had managed to figure things out caught up with them.

Chirrut and Baze took things from there. Cassian and Jyn fought their hardest, too, but he had a feeling the two Guardians would have been just fine without them.

Strange, that it was Baze whose aim Cassian worried about most as they ran toward the two. He had to duck a shot that came close to taking his head off. Meanwhile, Chirrut managed to take out Stormtroopers on either side of him with quick blows to the head, leaving him untouched.

“Bodhi has a ship for us,” Chirrut told them as they ran the last few meters to the hangar. Baze took half of the unconscious man’s weight off of Cassian.  

“We came with a ship,” he managed to get out.

“We’ll explain later,” Baze growled.

Bodhi was waiting for them on the ramp of a ship unlike any Cassian had seen before. “What is that?” he muttered.

_“Later,”_ Baze replied.

They were twenty meters away when he heard a blaster shot, and then a quick cry of pain. He spun and saw Jyn clutching her arm, and a man in a white cape preparing to shoot a second time. He quickly fired off two shots, forcing the man to duck.

Jyn recovered and came up shooting. “Get to the ship,” Cassian yelled at her. She hesitated, then ran. He noticed she kept herself between the man in white and her father.

The man in white stood, then, apparently more concerned with stopping them than with his own safety. He fired off rounds quickly, one after the other, and maybe the Force was real after all because it was the only reason Cassian could give for them making it to the ship alive.

As they raced up the ramp he heard another short cry of pain, and his heart constricted in his chest. It took a minute for him to realize that while it was Jyn’s voice, it was Galen who had been hit. The man was so weak that he hadn’t even made a sound. Cassian took a brief moment to check the injury – direct hit to the upper leg, shouldn’t be fatal if there was a med kit aboard – then ran to join Bodhi in the cockpit.

“So you think this is a better ship?” he asked as he threw himself into the copilot’s seat.

Bodhi kept his eyes ahead, focused on taking off, but Cassian still caught his incredulous look. “It’s an N-1T modified for long-range hyperdrive flight. And it carries two proton bombs. Yes, it’s a better ship.”

“It’s Krennic’s ship,” Jyn said from behind them. She was limping and holding her arm again, but she managed a weak smile. “Nice work,” she told Bodhi.

“Yes, well,” he replied. “Here’s where we test it.” With that, he spun the ship 180 degrees. “Go for it, Baze,” he yelled.

A second later, the hangar erupted in flame. Bodhi let out a whoop.

“That ought to slow them down,” he said, a hint of smugness in his voice.

“Good. Now get us into hyperdrive,” Cassian told him.

He let himself lean back and rest for a moment. They had done it. He didn’t need Kaytoo to tell him that the odds of the mission succeeding with no fatalities on their end had been extremely low.

As the immediate threat faded, his anger at Jyn returned. What the hell had she been thinking? The fact that she’d put their lives into danger so casually was almost worse than if she’d done it maliciously. He was no stranger to betrayal. But throwing a fellow soldier’s life away through pure carelessness – that simply wasn’t done. Unless, apparently, you were used to the Empire’s way of thinking.

He pushed back the small voice in his head noting that they would never have pulled it off without her.

But when he turned around, ready to fight, he saw Jyn slumped against the wall, her face a mask of pain. “Come on,” he said roughly, biting back the furious words he’d been planning to throw at her. “Let’s deal with that.” He picked her up none too gently by her uninjured arm, and marched her out of the room.

*

They found the med kit already in use. Kaytoo had it open and was applying a bacta patch to her father’s leg.

Her father. Jyn still couldn’t believe he was here. Alive, albeit barely conscious. Free. She opened her mouth to try to wake him, but Kaytoo spoke first, cutting her off.

“Captain Andor. This human is very weak, and he still refuses to drink,” the droid said. “Since this is the famous Galen Erso, I will assume his lack of self-care indicates suicidality, not pure idiocy. Either way, he needs medical attention, or his odds of survival will be quite poor.”

Cassian rummaged through the kit and came out holding a second bacta patch. “So give him medical attention, Kay,” he said, shoving up Jyn’s sleeve. She took a quick look at the injury, and immediately wished she hadn’t.

She couldn’t stop a brief hiss of pain when the patch hit her skin. Cassian shot her a look, his fury seeming to dim for a second.

She sighed, decided to take advantage of the brief moment of relative calm. “I know you’re angry,” she began.

He cut her off. “Angry? I’m kriffing furious. You had no right, Jyn. You could have killed us all. Were you too foolish to consider that? Or did you just not care?”

She should have forced herself not to wince at his words, and apologized immediately. Groveled if she had to. That’s what she knew she should do.

Instead, she found herself replying, “It worked, didn’t it? I lied to get myself on the mission. Do you think it would have worked without me?”

“Are you serious?” Cassian looked like he wanted to shoot something. “We almost died four times over. Because of a plan we made based on faulty intel you gave us.”

 “But we – “

He cut her off, his voice rising. “And either way, you had no right to do that. Who are you to decide what intel I deserve to have? To decide what intel Draven deserves to have? The Empire may have given you a fancy title, but you are not in charge of the rebellion, Jyn!”

“You’re right, I’m not,” she yelled. “If I were in charge of the rebellion, the rebellion wouldn’t be so afraid to take a damn risk! Forgive me if I’m not willing to let the galaxy be destroyed because they’re more worried about my loyalties than about a kriffing planet-destroying superweapon!”

He let out a short, bitter laugh. “You honestly think you could run the rebellion, don’t you? You joined this fight one week ago. One week! I’ve been fighting since I was six years old.”

“It took a lot longer than one week to do what I did,” she shot back. “The Empire doesn’t exactly make defecting easy.”

“Oh, well if it wasn’t _easy_ ,” he said, and for the first time his tone held a note of cruelty. “We don’t all have the luxury of waiting until it’s safe to join the fight, you know.”

Jyn felt his words like a physical blow. To her shock, tears prickled at the back of her eyes. It might have hurt less, if she hadn’t spent the past few days going over the last three years and wondering if there had been a way she could have escaped earlier, and how many lives would have been saved if she had.

“I – “ she didn’t even know what she was going to say. Whatever it was, she was interrupted again, this time by a faint voice from the other side of the room.

“Stardust,” he father murmured. “Jyn. Stardust.” His eyes flew open. Found her.

“Jyn,” he said, his tone broken. “Where – you’re dead. I’m so sorry, Jyn.”

She rushed to his side as fast as her injuries allowed. “Not dead yet,” she managed to say past the lump in her throat. She put her hand lightly over his. “You need to drink, dad,” she said.

“Can’t – need to… “ his eyes glazed over again. “Need to die,” he muttered.

“No. No no no, no dying,” she told him. “We need your help. You need to drink, and get strong, and tell us how to destroy the Death Star.”

“S’a trick,” he muttered, but he took a sip of the water Kaytoo handed to Jyn, not taking his eyes off of her.

“I killed you,” he said, his voice slightly stronger. And then he was out again, apparently exhausted by the simple effort of speaking. Jyn trembled as she looked him over. His eyes were sunken into his skull, his skin was as pale as Krennic’s robes.

He must have hidden his weakness well, Krennic would never have let it get this far otherwise. She wondered how he had made it through the past five days, and decided she probably didn’t want to know.

“Why did he do this to himself?” Cassian asked from beside her.

She shot him an annoyed look. Trust him not to trust the answer that was staring him in the face.

“You heard him. He was trying to die.” Trying to die because of her. As if she needed more deaths on her conscience.

“Because he thought he killed you,” he finished. His next words were so low that Jyn wasn’t sure they’d been meant for her to hear, but she did. “It’s a shame he didn’t think of suicide _before_ building a planet destroyer.”

She whirled on him in fury. Only a decade of constant self-control kept her from hitting him. “For someone who’s spent his life fighting the Empire, you certainly seem to have a high opinion of it,” she bit out.

She couldn’t even storm out properly. Her kriffing twisted ankle forced her to limp as she made herself leave the room before she could say anything worse.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she heard Cassian’s angry voice behind her. But thankfully, he didn’t move to follow her.

*

“What did she mean?” Cassian heard himself say again, more to himself than to anyone else.

Kaytoo gave a short mechanical hum, his version of a shrug. “Jyn Erso is highly irrational. I would not attempt to assign meaning to her statements,” he said.

Cassian brought a hand to his head and briefly massaged his temple. Yelling at Jyn hadn’t made him feel any better. He’d felt a brief euphoria at finally letting his anger out – and when was the last time he’d shown anger around anyone, except maybe Kaytoo? – but that faded fast. Now he just felt a dully burning frustration, because of course she hadn’t apologized, hadn’t even admitted she might have been wrong.

And maybe he felt a small prickle of shame remembering the look in her eyes when he’d all but accused her of cowardice. When he’d accused her father of not risking his own life until it was too late.

He looked up, and realized that the man in question was looking straight at him. Galen Erso was awake again, and his eyes were fixed on Cassian’s.

“She meant… “ he said. Broke off. “She probably wouldn’t want me to tell you,” he muttered to himself.

Cassian knew that whatever Galen had to say could wait. His priority was getting the man safely back to base, not figuring out his daughter’s past.

He still brought his full powers of intimidation to bear as he turned to Galen and said, “Tell me.”

Galen did.


	14. Chapter 14

He found her sitting alone in the storage hold. She didn’t try to kick him as he sat down next to her, which he considered a good start.

They sat in silence for a moment. Cassian was still trying to work through how much he wanted to tell her, and how to say it without ending up in another screaming fight.

Jyn surprised him by speaking first. “I was eighteen,” she said. “When I decided to join the rebellion.”

Cassian said nothing, but gave her what he hoped was an encouraging look.

“I thought… “ she trailed off. “I thought a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

She sighed. “You don’t want to hear it.”

“I do,” he said, surprising himself with how much he meant it.

“I saw my mother die, when they came to take us,” she began. “And at first I was so mad, I wanted to kill them all. I was going to kill Krennic to avenge her. I had a whole plan.” She smiled slightly.

“But then time passed and things got worse and… and I started to think that it had all been so pointless. She could never have won. All she did was throw her life away.”

“And leave you alone,” he heard himself say.

She shot him a quick, surprised look. “Yes. That too.” She sighed. “And I started to think that all the rebels and partisans were doing the same thing, just on a bigger scale. Just throwing their lives away. I mean… have you ever seen a Star Destroyer? Have you ever seen Darth Vader?”

“A star destroyer, yes. Darth Vader, no,” he said. “I kind of thought he was a myth, to be honest.”

She shook her head. “He’s real. I saw him at a party on Coruscant once. Did you know he can read minds?”

He stared at her. “Shit,” was all he could think to say. “That’s… how?” He wasn’t sure whether he meant _how does he do it_ or _how did you survive_.

“I don’t know how he does it,” she said. “They say he practices the Force. Krennic always said that’s nonsense, but… I felt it. He definitely has some sort of strange power. It’s – when he came in the room, it was like all the life went out of it. Like if all the lights suddenly went out at once, but… this probably sounds ridiculous.”

“Not at all,” he told her. “What did you do? I’m assuming your thoughts weren’t exactly what the Empire might hope for.”

She snorted. “Not exactly, no.”

“So what did you do?”

She paused, playing with the sleeve of her shirt. She looked almost embarrassed.

“I, um,” she finally said. “I thought about sex.”

He choked back a laugh. “I was not expecting that,” he said in response to her glare.

She definitely looked embarrassed. “It was the only thing I could think of to hide my real thoughts,” she said defensively. “I needed something that would, you know. Hold my attention.”

He laughed openly. “So you warded off a mythic dark Force user with the power of hormones,” he said. She gave him a small smile in return.

“Pretty much,” she admitted. “I felt something, at one point, like a pressure on my mind. But it passed quickly.”

“So it worked?”

“I’m not dead, so, yeah, I’d say it worked.”

They sat quietly for a moment. He had moved closer while they were talking, and now they were side by side, his leg almost brushing hers. He wasn’t sure how they’d gone from screaming at each other to whatever this was so quickly, but he wasn’t complaining.

This would be a good time, he knew, to bring up what he’d learned. But he was curious.

“So how did that change things?” he asked.

“Meeting Vader? It didn’t, really. It just reinforced what I already thought. The rebellion didn’t have a chance.”

“So what did change your mind?”

“Maxon,” she said, making a face.

“Maxon, the evil one whose death you didn’t regret, Maxon?”

“Yes.”

“… are you going to explain that?”

“I told you I saw Maxon kill a man once for not saluting,” she said. “Not that I hadn’t seen him kill before… I told myself there was nothing I could have done, anyway. If I’d tried to stop him, they’d still be dead, and so would I.” She looked down, hiding her face, but not before Cassian saw the flash of anger. Anger at Maxon, he wondered, or at herself?

“Anyway,” she continued. “What I didn’t tell you was how they reacted. The rest of the people there – they just… Maxon killed a man for nothing, and nobody stopped him. Nobody said anything. And I realized that even if I could run, there would be nowhere to run to. The Empire’s never going to _stop._ If nobody fights, it’s just going to push out and out and no matter how far you run, you’ll be under Imperial rule.

“I lived under Imperial rule,” she added. “It wasn’t pleasant.”

Cassian took a minute to process what she’d told him. He understood why she’d lied before. Draven and Mothma would hardly have wanted to hear that she’d spent so much of her life dismissing the rebellion as a lost cause.

Maybe a few days ago, he would have been upset by it, too. But now – he’d seen her throw herself into danger too many times to truly suspect her of not being dedicated.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked.

“Because you were right,” she said softly. “I demanded your trust, but I haven’t done anything to earn it. I know I can’t change what happened, but I thought maybe…”

He didn’t know what to say. Instead, he just bumped his leg gently against hers. It was a casual gesture, almost juvenile, the kind of thing he saw other soldiers do. She gave him a bright smile in return.

“You just need to get used to working with a team,” he told her.

“I’ve never had a team before,” she said, thoughtful. “I mean, not one that I wasn’t secretly trying to undermine.”

He couldn’t help a small smile. Maybe he was forgiving her too quickly, but this felt right. He felt like they were finally, fully on the same side.

Unfortunate, that he would have to ruin the moment. But… he had to know.

“Jyn,” he said, hesitant. “I talked to your father.” She gave him a sharp look. He sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She looked worried. “Tell you what?”

“What they did,” he said. “What they were holding over him.”

She looked deeply uncomfortable, and he hated himself a little for taking the smile off her face, for putting that look there instead.

“It’s not like it’s a surprise, right?” she said, defensive. “You knew I was a hostage. And you must have known that the Empire uses torture.”

“I didn’t think… “ He sighed. “You know it would have changed things, Jyn. Knowing that if he didn’t work, they’d hurt you – even Draven would have understood why he stayed.”

“Or if he died,” she said softly. “He knew that if he died, they’d… You asked why he didn’t kill himself earlier. That’s why.”

He said nothing.

“You’ve been tortured,” she said. At his look, she added, “I’m assuming.”

It was a fair assumption. She was smart, he was sure she realized what his job entailed. But to ask about it so directly… “What’s your point?”

“Want to talk about it?”

Of course he didn’t want to talk about it. And – OK, he got her point.

“I’m not blaming you,” he said. “I just wish I’d known.”

They sat quietly again, shoulders pressed together in the near-dark. He was just wondering if he should leave, if she wanted to be alone, when Bodhi found them.

“It’s your father,” he told Jyn. “He’s OK,” he added quickly. “But he wants to talk to you. He says we forgot something, and it’s important.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this. Sorry :(.
> 
> Also sorry for another chapter without much action... Getting there soon.

Kaytoo had clearly managed to get some liquid into Galen since they saw him last. He was still laying down, but his voice was strong as he greeted them.

“Jyn,” he said. “And… ?”

“Captain Cassian Andor,” Cassian said. Jyn noticed his face was carefully neutral again. He might be starting to trust her, but he clearly wasn’t fully convinced about her father.

“Not one of Saw’s men,” Galen said.

“Saw… couldn’t help us,” she said, shooting Cassian a warning look. She wasn’t sure if her father knew his old friend had been murdered using the weapon he designed, but if not – she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. At least not until he was strong enough to sit up. “Fortunately, I met Captain Andor, who offered the rebellion’s assistance,” she added.

If her father suspected that he was getting the highly sanitized version of events, he didn’t show it. “Good. I’m glad...” His eyes misted over. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Jyn.”

“Bodhi said you had something urgent to tell us?” she said.

“Yes.” He paused, eyes darting around the room, and Jyn felt her stomach sink. Her father never did learn to conceal his emotions, and right then, his nervousness was clear as day.

“Papa,” she said after a moment. “Just tell us.”

He sighed. “They still have the plans.” He looked at her, clearly expecting her to understand. She just shook her head slightly.

Galen took it in stride. He always did. Jyn counted herself lucky in that one thing, at least – no matter how often she failed to keep up with his mental leaps, he had never for a moment made her feel inferior for it. She wasn’t sure if it was his kind nature, or just the fact that his own genius had brought him nothing but grief, but whatever the reason, Galen was genuinely not disappointed that she didn’t share his intellect.

“They have the plans for the Death Star,” he explained, hesitant. “And now that I’m gone…”

“They’ll suspect sabotage.” It was Cassian who spoke.

Galen nodded. “They’ll go over the plans with a fine toothed comb, and…” He looked at Jyn, pleading. She nodded, grim. The thought of a truly unstoppable Death Star…

“The plans are on Scarif?” she said. Her mind raced ahead, thinking of ways to make this work.

Cassian’s eyes flicked to her, to her father, and back again. “Wait,” he said, voice flat. “Are you planning to break into the Imperial archives now?” She frowned, annoyed; had her thoughts been that obvious?

“That sounds like an unnecessarily elaborate way to commit suicide,” Kaytoo chimed in.

“It wouldn’t be breaking in, exactly,” Jyn replied. “I am still an officer. If I say it’s an errand from my father, I could even –“

Cassian gave a dark laugh. “Yes, you are still an officer. And that worked out so well for us just now on Eadu.”

“That was Maxon –“

“- at Krennic’s command,” he cut her off.

“Krennic is probably dead,” she told him, letting her anger seep into her words. At the same time, Galen tried to rise, gasped out, “What did Krennic do?”

“’Probably dead’ is not dead,” Cassian snapped back, as Kaytoo told Galen, “Krennic ordered your daughter killed. Imperials get like that, sometimes.”

“You didn’t mention that,” Galen told Jyn, his eyes accusing, and suddenly it was too much.

“I am going to Scarif,” she practically screamed.

Everyone looked to her.

“There’s no other way to do this,” she said more calmly. “I know that Krennic might still be alive. I know that they’ll probably arrest me on sight either way, just because he –“ she pointed to her father “- is missing.” Galen paled slightly. “But what’s the alternative?” she asked, and she was speaking to Cassian now, willing him to understand. “We can’t leave the plans with them, not unless the Rebellion can find the Death Star and launch an assault within the next forty-eight hours.”

“And how are you planning to get from here to Scarif?” he asked, challenging. “I do not see a second ship, here. And I assume you aren’t planning to bring your father with you.”

Jyn faltered. “When we get back to base…” She stopped. That would never work, and she knew it as well as he did. The Rebel leaders may have shown her an unusual level of trust, but they would hardly let her take off for an Imperial station in a rebel ship, based on nothing but her word that it was important.

His gaze softened. “Bringing back your father is more than we could have hoped for,” he told her. “You have done much to help the cause.”

“I have done nothing,” she bit back. “Do you not see that? Unless we can stop the Death Star, none of what any of us have done will mean a thing.”

She saw his quick flinch, as if she’d hit him, and almost regretted her words. But – she wasn’t one to hide ugly truths, and even if she was, she wouldn’t bother with Cassian.

“Jyn,” Galen spoke. “No. I never meant for you to go. _I_ need to go. I have the clearance, I can –“

“No,” Cassian said, and “Not a chance,” she said, at the same moment. Their eyes met briefly, and she almost smiled despite herself.

“You are our hope of defeating the Death Star,” Cassian said, his tone alive with conviction. “If we have you but not the files, we still have a chance. If you go, we risk losing everything.” Her father made a sound of protest. “Galen, you could save the galaxy. I am not going to throw that away.”

Jyn let him speak. Maybe it would be easier, if it came from him.

There was something compelling about the way he spoke. She hadn’t seen him passionate before – well, except when he was furious with her. But seeing him now, his eyes burning as he spoke of risk and hope, that was something very different.

Not that it really mattered how convincing he was. She was going to Scarif, and her father wasn’t, and that was final. Galen was hardly in a position to fight her over this.

“Cassian is right,” she said. Her father’s eyes flicked to her, and she realized her use of Cassian’s first name must have come as a surprise. She forced her face not to show any sign of embarrassment. “We can’t risk you.”

“I can’t risk you,” he told her, his eyes wild. “I just got you back. Don’t make me do this, Stardust.”

She swallowed back a sudden lump in her throat. “You rest, papa,” she told him. “We don’t have to decide this right away.”

Cassian nodded. “Jyn is right,” he said. “Rest.”

Galen looked as if he wanted to argue, but she could see their brief conversation had tired him. She gave him a quick smile as they left the room.

She waited until the doors had closed behind them to turn to Cassian. “So,” she said. “How are we going to do this?”

*

Cassian knew he had somewhat of a reputation for being cautious, obedient.

He also knew said reputation was unearned. Yes, he could wait for hours to get a shot exactly right. And true, he never dreamed of causing trouble the way some recruits did – he never caused a fight, always kept his weapons perfectly maintained, was never even drunk on base. Well, except for a recent night on which he’d tried to outwit Jyn Erso.

But he was an intelligence agent, and no intelligence agent could be mindlessly obedient to the rules and still be any good at what they did. And he was very good at what he did. He was used to thinking on his feet, used to trusting his gut instinct.

This, though. This was pushing it even for him.

Just a few short hours ago he’d been yelling at Jyn for lying to him, and now here he was, planning to head off on what could very well be a suicide mission, trusting entirely in her word. Trusting her plan, after they’d barely escaped death on Eadu.

He couldn’t help wondering for a moment if Kaytoo was right. The droid had insisted on speaking to him after his conversation with Jyn and her father.

_“She is still planning to go to Scarif,” Kaytoo had announced. Cassian had just nodded. “And you are planning to go with her.” Another nod._

_Kaytoo had made a sound that was closer to a sigh than any droid should be capable of. “Captain. I am afraid your… condition… is clouding your judgment on this matter,” he had said._

_“What condition?” Cassian frowned. “What are you talking about?”_

_“You are sexually attracted to Jyn Erso,” Kaytoo had announced._

_“What?” He’d looked quickly to the sides, praying Jyn hadn’t been close enough to hear that. Leaning closer, he’d hissed, “Kaytoo, that’s ridiculous.”_

_“If only you were correct,” Kaytoo had said, stubbornly keeping his voice as loud as ever. “But the data is clear.”_

_“The… - Kay. You don’t need to collect data on this. I am telling you that you are wrong.” A brief pause, then, “Please, please do not collect data.”_

_“The attraction may be subconscious,” Kaytoo said thoughtfully. “That would explain some of my findings.”_

_“Jyn is… an attractive woman,” he’d said. “But I’m not – that has nothing to do with anything, Kay. This mission needs to happen.” Kaytoo had made to respond, but Cassian had cut him off. “Enough. I have to go.”_

Now, though – Kaytoo was clearly misinformed, but it was hard not to wonder if something was clouding his judgment.

Across from him in the escape pod, Jyn was starting to look sick. “Second thoughts?” he asked, mostly to distract himself.

She shook her head. “No. Just – I don’t like this part very much.”

He studied her for a moment. From anyone else he might take the statement at face value. Jyn, though – if Jyn looked slightly queasy, she must be terrified. For a wild moment he had to fight the urge to take her hand.

He settled for a brief, “It will be over soon.” She nodded.

“Guys? Captain Andor?” Bodhi’s voice crackled over the comm. “I’m going to launch you now.”

He just had time to say “Affirmative,” and the pod shot into space, tumbling down toward the nearby moon. He forced himself to breath normally as gravity abandoned them, inhaling deeply through his nose as they entered atmosphere and spun wildly around.

He felt a pressure on his hand and realized that Jyn had reached out and grabbed him. Her eyes were closed, and her face was paler than he’d ever seen it. He squeezed back and ran his thumb over the back of her hand in what he hoped was a soothing gesture, happy that Kaytoo wasn’t there to see him.

 

The jolt of landing was better than it could have been, which wasn’t saying much. His entire body ached from shaking against the restraints, and Jyn was so pale that for a terrifying moment he’d thought she hadn’t made it.

But then she opened her eyes and pulled her hand from his. “Let’s go,” she said, sounding almost hostile. He watched as she struggled out of the pod, almost falling twice. He didn’t offer her his arm; he had a strong feeling that would only make things worse.

When her feet hit the ground, she was Lieutenant Cara Sarasson. Cassian approved, and did his best to become Captain Willix. He stole glances as they walked toward the base – limped, really, because someone could already be watching – and tried to figure out what it was that was different. Lieutenant Sarasson looked exactly like Jyn Erso, and yet somehow not. He wondered if his face did the same thing, when he became Willix.

He wondered what the odds were that she hadn’t noticed him looking over at her.

It took them just minutes to make their way to the nearest road. Bodhi had timed the release of the pod perfectly; their luck could only have been better if they’d landed on the launch pad itself.

It was Cassian who spoke when they got to base, who told the grim-faced officers about the smugglers who had attacked out of nowhere, destroying his ship and leaving just one other officer alive. Jyn said nothing, but her tear-streaked face did more to sell the story than all of his words and more.

Of course, what mattered most were the codes Galen had given them. Galen had fought against Jyn’s departure with all his strength, but when he realized she was planning to go with or without his assistance, he’d caved and given them whatever he could to help.

He’d given them Death Star codes. The very idea of it left a sour taste in Cassian’s mouth, even knowing it was a lie. Willix and Sarasson on their way to the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, the supposedly secret weapon. Although it couldn’t be much of a secret, because apparently there were already two million Imperial troops aboard. Or so claimed the over-enthusiastic ensign who showed them to their ship.

“It’s, like, the size of a planet,” he said as he they walked to the hangar. “And did you know it has the strongest tractor beam ever constructed? Like, five times stronger than anything that’s ever been built. I haven’t been there yet, but my cousin says…”

Cassian fought a headache as the man rambled on. It was ironic; just a week ago he would have killed for this information. Today, though – today the last thing he needed was another reminder of the Empire’s strength, as they headed off to try to steal from an entire planet full of Imperial troops.

No, that was the second to last thing he needed. The absolute last thing he needed was the gut-churningly detailed reminder of what would happen if they failed.

“- and it’s supposed to have some kind of amazing weapon, like, game-changing. My cousin said –“

Just as Cassian was wondering just how bad it would be if he killed the man to shut him up, Jyn let out a soft wail. “I’m sorry,” she said as both men turned to her in alarm. “I just…” Her eyes welled up with tears. “It all sounds so amazing, and I know that Lieutenants Weir and Sward would have loved it, and -” She broke off, covering her eyes as if to hide her tears.

It was mercifully silent the rest of the way to the ship.

“Thank you,” he told her, as they strapped themselves in, the ensign already on his way back to the gate. She just nodded, her eyes still serious. Well, that was to be expected. There was more than enough to worry about.

He was worried, and he’d had decades to get used to the idea of dying for the cause. Of course, as a teenager the idea of dying for the cause hadn’t been so frightening, had even had a grim romance to it. Back then, thoughts of his natural lifespan had been vague at best; he couldn’t imagine living past 25 one way or another.

Recently the decades he would be giving up had felt heavier, more real. But – he was so tired, sometimes. And he’d sacrificed so many other lives for the cause; the thought that he would sacrifice his own… it wouldn’t make him proud, not anymore, but it would be a kind of justice.

Jyn, though. She’d had so very little time. Her life under the Empire didn’t count, had been worse than nothing. If she had broken free only to die less than a month later, well. He couldn’t fault her for being frightened by the thought.

They were silent as they took off, the ship easily making the jump into hyperspace based on pre-set coordinates. He’d need to alter the course when they got closer to their destination, but that could wait.

“Cassian.” Her voice broke him out of thoughts of how to override the ship’s system. His head snapped to her, but she didn’t speak for a moment.

“Yes?” he prompted.

She sighed. “What’s going to happen to my father?”

Several reassuring, technically true answers came to mind. He dismissed them all. Even if he wanted to feed her reassuring half-truths, she would see right through them.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “He’s safe for now, but…”

“But once they don’t need him anymore, no guarantees,” she finished for him.

He opened his mouth, the automatic “it’s not like that” on his lips, but – it was sort of like that. And maybe Galen Erso deserved it, maybe he didn’t deserve anyone’s protection after putting an entire galaxy at risk, but he could hardly tell Jyn that.

He settled for, “Bodhi will protect him.” She nodded, but her eyes were troubled, and once again he found himself fighting the urge to take her hand.


End file.
